


A Date For Sevenmas

by majoris



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:11:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21973369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/majoris/pseuds/majoris
Summary: When Brienne grabbed the first man standing near her in the crowd of people to convince Hyle that she actuallydidhave a date she expected it to be one of her friends and not Jaime Lannister of all people.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 186
Kudos: 450





	1. The Father

**Author's Note:**

> Against my better judgment, here we are. Honestly, I already regret this but isn't that life.  
> This is dedicated to people who said in tags (or by other means) that they'd like to read [this](https://majoris.tumblr.com/post/189652394369/aesthetic-moodboard-jaimebrienne-be-my) as a full fic. Pretty sure it's not what you expected & I've got way too many excuses for everything so let's just roll with it.
> 
>  **disclaimer:** I own nothing apart from the plot

When Brienne grabbed the first man standing near her in the crowd of people to convince Hyle Hunt that she actually _had a date_ and didn’t want or need his continued – and aggressive by that point - advances, she was sure it was Renly, maybe Loras or Robb. After all, they were right there, next to her mere seconds ago. Turned out, it was neither of them.

The voice that rushed through the air was warm and deep. Her whole body froze while her heart startled in her chest. She couldn’t hear anything but her heartbeat for a few seconds while she kept both of her hands in the crook of Jaime Lannister’s arm.

_Jaime Lannister._

Of all the men attending this party it had to be him. _Of course,_ it had to be him.  
She tried to focus on Hyle’s face, his plain smile fading slowly with every word falling from Jaime Lannister’s mouth. When her hearing finally came back to her she managed to catch the next sentence quite clearly.

“Nice suit,” Lannister said as if an afterthought, but the tone of his voice sharp like a sword’s edge, “I think I saw Baelish wear it two seasons ago, right sweetheart?” He directed the last part towards her but she didn’t look away from Hyle’s face even for a second. Not that the man even saw her. His eyes were boiling with anger, digging holes in Jaime Lannister’s head. She was sure that the only thing keeping him from throwing a punch were the severe ramifications he would face if he did.

Brienne squeezed Lannister’s arm but he didn’t even flinch. He chuckled softly instead, making it sound even more of an insult than his words were and turned towards Hyle once again.

“We should go,” he said, “it was nice meeting you.” Followed by something mumbled under his breath that sounded suspiciously like _you pathetic cunt_.

Brienne managed a quick _bye_ herself before Lannister pulled her with him and away from Hyle.

He played along. She could not believe Jaime Lannister played along with her half-baked ploy and she could not believe he did that so quickly and so effortlessly. She wasn’t sure if any of her friends could have managed that and they _knew her_.

He didn’t know her at all. He didn’t even know her name. He hasn’t even really seen her face yet.  
She stopped him, in the middle of the moving crowd, with her fingers digging into his skin over the soft material of his black, expensive suit.

She would just thank him for saving her and go to find her friends and she would never have to see or interact with Jaime Lannister ever again.

But then he turned around, his eyebrows scrunched for a second before his face relaxed.  
The words she prepared in her head died on the tip of her tongue when she saw his face from so close.

The word _handsome_ , which she heard so many times in relation to him, did not do him justice. Pictures nor videos couldn’t possibly capture what was right before her eyes right now.

He wasn't _just_ handsome, he was the most beautiful man she’s ever seen in her life. He was warrior incarnate, awaken from a long slumber in one of his statues and walking amongst mortals for a day. His golden hair caressed his cheeks when he moved, his green eyes glinted in the light of the huge, crystal chandeliers hanging above them. 

Those eyes were looking over her features, she could feel it as a physical touch. Her pale freckled skin, her much too big lips, her crooked teeth, and a broken nose.

When his eyes landed on hers his own widened slightly and his lips slipped open with a sigh so soft she would have missed it if she wasn’t so aware of him.

She saw him swallow, his neck moving and she swallowed in turn. 

“Damn.” The word escaped his mouth unbidden and her world widened in an instant making her conscious of their surroundings once more.

She let go of his arm and backed away a step noticing just now that he was almost as tall as her. 

“What?” She blurted.

“I-” His voice faltered, eyes squinting for a second. His tongue slipped from between his lips. Brienne looked to the side.

“Do I have something on my face?” She asked looking at the crowd surrounding them, grateful that no one seemed to pay them any mind for now.

She glanced back at him since he didn’t answer, and he smirked and shook his head. Then he chuckled, and _of course_ he would.

What difference anything made with her looking like she did.

She gritted her teeth and glanced above his shoulder her mouth opening, determined to thank him and just get away, as quickly as she could.

But he was faster, the echo of his laugh ringing in her ears while he reached for her hand and put it in the crook of his arm once more. He pulled her further into the chattering crowd.

She did want to stop him, she _did_. She just _couldn’t_ for some unfathomable reason.

And then he wormed them in between two people in a small circle and smirked at her before turning to one of the older ladies in front of them.

“Aunt Genna, this is my girlfriend.” He said.

Brienne couldn’t breathe. 

She turned her head abruptly towards him, heart hammering in her chest. _What the hell?!_

She clenched her hand over his arm hard and this time he barely covered the grimace of pain, but then he turned toward her, looked at her for a second and smirked.

Fucking _smirked_ at her. 

He leaned close to her face, his warm breath caressing her ear and she managed to breathe in with him before she heard his whisper.

“You started it.”

_I did not start anyth-_

“Sweetheart,” the lady’s amused voice stopped her line of thought and caused Lannister to move away from her, “you are so tall!”

Brienne looked down at the plump lady, almost half her height and before she managed to say anything her other hand - free from Jaime Lannister - was enveloped between two hands of Lannister’s aunt.

“You're _astonishing_ ,” the woman continued, “finally Jaime brings a date over!” She looked at Lannister next to her, “your father will be delighted.”

_Oh, of course_ , she thought, _payback_.

Nothing ever came for free, not that it made much sense for Jaime Lannister to drag her around calling her his _girlfriend_ when there were - quite literally - crowds of more beautiful women available around them.

But she couldn’t really question him now, could she?

Brienne swallowed and tried to find her footing. She would do this for him and then she'll be done. Favour for a favour.

“Lady-” Brienne started but the woman only shook the hand that she was still holding in her own. She smiled wide.

“Call me aunt Genna, please, you’re practically family.”

Brienne insides rolled over and her heart fluttered in her chest.

“Al-Alright.” She stammered and glanced at Lannister who only kept smirking at them both.

_Aunt Genna_ gave her a nod, as if in confirmation of their agreement and finally let go of her hand. She looked somewhere behind Brienne’s arm and Brienne didn’t even manage to turn around before a strong voice boomed to the side.

“Jaime.”

Tywin Lannister appeared bringing a wave of cold air with him and Lannister squeezed her hand between his body and his arm snugly, which made her slip closer to him by instinct.

She could feel the warmth of his body on one side while the weird cold inched towards her on the other.

“Father,” Lannister said, and it sounded so much different from everything else she heard him say that evening.

Tywin passed next to her, glancing her way with practiced indifference. He moved towards aunt Genna and kissed her hand. He did the same with the other lady in the circle that Brienne wasn’t introduced to before he took his place between the two ladies and looked at his son.

“I didn’t think I would see you here tonight.“ 

She could feel Lannister stiffen next to her.

“Yet here I am.” He said.

“Indeed you are.”

The silence stretched out while Tywin Lannister and his son seemed to continue their conversation via eyesight only.

People around them started fidgeting and looking around until aunt Genna sighed theatrically while rolling her eyes and waved her hand in the air.

“Jaime, dear,” she said, “weren’t you going to take your girlfriend here to get some refreshments?” She asked.

Tywin Lannister seemed to get slightly startled at the word _girlfriend_ and he finally really looked at her, his eyes scrutinizing her from the very top of her feet - which were hidden by her long dress - to the very end of her meticulously arranged hair. His eyebrow arched and Brienne couldn’t tell what he was thinking at all. But maybe that was a good thing.

“Yes,” Jaime said, after clearing his throat, and pulled on her once again that evening dragging her away from the circle of people and into the crowd.

“See you soon sweetheart.” Aunt Genna said to her and waved. Brienne barely had time to answer _goodbye_ while turning her head behind her shoulder.

-

They moved through the crowd, people parting easily before the Lannister heir but they always, _always_ , seemed to take a second look at her.

An ugly thing hanging on Jaime Lannister’s arm.

She knew what kind of sight they both painted; she knew how she looked when she was alone. Beside him, it must have been so much worse.

But that was it, wasn’t it? A favour for a favour.

She was done.

When she could finally level with him and saw a chance to end this whole farce yet another Lannister family member blocked their path.

Cersei Lannister was, similarly to her brother, the most beautiful woman Brienne ever saw.

Her long golden locks curled softly around her face and neck, falling down to her waist. She was curved in all the right places, unlike Brienne herself. She was slim and slight and overall perfect.  
Her eyes glinted with different green than Jaime’s. Her green was harsh, deep in a way that was a gloomy forest rather than a meadow of tall grass.

She looked her over, much like her father did. Still, it felt different. The eyes seemed to catch all of her in, every little detail, every little flaw catalogued for later use. And if Tywin Lannister was cold, then Cersei was a cloud of overwhelming fumes that slowly encircled closer and closer before finally, _finally-_

She smirked, white teeth sharp in the soft light of the chandeliers. Her smirk matched her eyes perfectly.

“Brother.” She said, and hatred dripping from her red lips seemed to be directed at Brienne more than at the Lannister himself.

Brienne let go of his arm and he let her.

“Cersei.” His voice seemed to have changed too.

“Who’s this?” She asked, completely disregarding Brienne’s presence even if Brienne caught the quick glance thrown her way.

“That’s-,” he stopped for a second which stretched on forever and Brienne hoped that he would go for the truth this time. Surely, there was no reason to lie to his sister as well. She must have known why he was hanging onto a fake date. _No one_ , Brienne urged him in her head, _she’s no one_. “She’s my girlfriend.” He said with clear finality.

Cersei Lannister’s eyes narrowed and her lips thinned. The grip she had on her small, black purse turned violent, her knuckles white.

“ _Really._ ” She said, and if Brienne thought her voice was hatred the last time now it was poison itself. 

“Really.” Lannister said firmly. He tried to reach for Brienne at the same moment Cersei laughed and Brienne just _had to_ get away.

“I’m sorry, I need to go to the ladies room.” She said and moved before either of the Lannister’s could react. 

-

The door closed behind her with a loud thud and when she turned around, she saw Sansa putting on lipstick in the bathroom’s mirror.

“Brienne?” The girl said while looking at her through the reflective surface. “Where have you been?”

Brienne leaned on the door and sighed.

That was a good question.

One second she was trying to convince Hyle that she did not want him to be continually hitting on her - no matter how much her father seemingly _approved_ of him - with perfectly innocent made up date that one of her friends was supposed to play and then the other second she was in Lannister hell being _a girlfriend_ of a beautiful nightmare that was their heir.

“Brienne are you all right?”

That was a good question too.

“I…,” she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, “I just want to go home.”

Sansa turned around.

“I know, me too.” She groaned. “ _Father’s_ celebrations are always the most boring and-, _I know_ I shouldn’t be saying this because technically it’s my family, but Arryn’s can’t throw a party for the life of them. They don’t have entertainment. _Entertainment_ Brienne! At the party for over five hundred people.”

Brienne couldn’t help her chuckle and she felt herself relax slowly in the presence of her friend.

“You might be right,” Brienne said.

“Honestly,” Sansa said, turned back around towards the mirror and pulled some powder and a brush so she could touch up her already beautiful face, “I don’t know why they got chosen over Tully’s, my mother’s house is so much better at this.”

Brienne didn’t really care that much who got chosen right now. She just wanted to get as far away from here as fast as she could.

The problem was, this was the first day of Sevenmas, the first _Ancient Houses Party_ she had to attend. There were six more days of this and there were already three Lannisters who thought she was Jaime Lannister’s girlfriend. 

Even if they didn’t say anything to anyone there were a lot of other people who they’ve passed joined by the arm on their way through the crowds. Then there was Hyle Hunt.

The news always spread fast in those circles and who knew how far it has reached already.

How was she going to wriggle herself out of this one? She couldn’t just _not_ go to those parties, no matter how much she wanted to.

She groaned.

“Brienne?”

“Yes?”

Sansa walked closer toward her and took her hand in her own. 

“You know what, let’s just go.” She said. “We’ve already shown up, so no one should hold this one against us. I think I saw Loras and Renly slip out anyway, as did a few other people, so it’s not even like we’d be the first to leave.”

Brienne felt a wave of relief wash over her.

“Really?” She said.

“Yes. We will go to yours, I’ve put a lemon cake in your fridge.” Sansa shooed her away from the door with a wave of her hand and when Brienne moved to the side she pulled it open. “I’ve craved something sweet all evening. I can’t believe they don’t even have cakes at this party, it’s ridiculous.“ 

Brienne smiled softly despite herself and followed her friend outside.

-

Her long blue dress was laid out carefully on one of the armchairs in her living room while she and Sansa, both clad in Brienne’s soft pyjamas, were sitting on the sofa eating lemon cake.

"I wonder what tomorrow’s one is going to look,” Sansa said looking at the dress and Brienne shrugged her shoulders. Sansa made a face. “Don’t tell me you’re not even a little bit curious.”

“Not really.” She said taking another bite.

“ _Liar._ ” Sansa said and then laughed when Brienne stuck her tongue out at her. “You looked really nice in this one, shame you have to give it back.”

“Sansa.” Brienne said, shaking her head.

“ _Brienne_.” Sansa mimicked. “You can’t say my make-up wasn’t perfect, and your hair is great like this. Maybe tomorrow we’ll do an updo or something.” Brienne sighed and Sansa looked her over. “We will match it to the dress.”

“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” Brienne mumbled. Sansa threw a pillow on her. “Hey!”

“We have to take the reins sometimes, it’s for your own good!” Sansa said and jumped off the couch getting another pillow from the armchair.

Brienne shook her head in disbelief.

“We’re not having a pillow fight over this.” Brienne said.

“Are you sure?” Sansa said and threw another one on her head.

“Sansa!” Brienne said, a laugh held tight in her chest.

“Loosen up Brienne, it's Sevenmas!” Sansa said with a loud laugh.

Brienne smiled, took the pillow that was laying next to her and threw it at her friends.

Between the laughs and shrieks of joy, Brienne did not notice her phone lightning with a new message.

_See you tomorrow blue eyes_. It said before the screen went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was supposed to be posted yesterday for 25th, but I got my ao3 invitation today. You can expect another chapter in a few hours :) thanks for reading!


	2. The Mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again :) Thank you for all the comments and kudos! ❤

How did he get her number, she had no idea, but the message had to be from him because nothing else made sense.

Unless someone got the numbers wrong which, knowing her luck, was not the case.

It had to be Jaime Lannister.

Brienne twirled her phone around in her hand while she drank her coffee and tried not to think about the evening party because that message meant that it was not over. Seemed Lannister decided the favour was not paid in full just yet.

"Damn Lannisters." Brienne mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" Sansa's sleepy voice reached her from behind. Brienne turned around to face her friend but she didn't manage to say anything because her doorbell rang and Sansa moved to open the door.

After a few seconds Arya barrelled in, threw a box in front of Brienne and slumped down on the barstool next to her.

"From Loras." She said and reached for a cup. She poured herself coffee and took a drink. "That's good." She nodded to herself and reached for some sugar.

Sansa was with them the next second and she reached for the blue box.

"Let's see it!" She said, much more excited than Brienne felt. Especially with the dreaded message sitting still on her phone. Was she even supposed to answer that?

Sansa moved back a bit, she put the box on the couch, opened it and pulled out a dress.

It was blue, like the other one was, just a shade lighter. The material seemed soft and flowy. Little stones shone at the modest neckline when Sansa moved with it closer to the windows.

"You will look like an angel!" She whispered in awe and Brienne couldn't help her groan. Arya chuckled by her side.

Sansa turned her head and narrowed her eyes at them both. She put the dress back in the box with a lot of care and left it on the sofa.

She walked around the bar and poured herself a mug of coffee before leaning back on the counter facing both her and Arya.

"You have no appreciation for fashion." She said.

Arya shrugged and Brienne glanced at her phone.

"So I wanted to ask," Arya broke the silence, "when did you start dating Kingslayer?"

_Seven fucking hells._

"What?!" Sansa cried out, coffee sloshing out of her cup. Arya jumped up in her stool making a face.

Brienne closed her eyes and sighed.

"I am _not_ dating him." She said.

"I don't know, people seem to have a different opinion on that." Arya said from the side. Brienne opened her eyes and turned toward her to send her a stern look but the girl just shrugged.

"Who told you that?" Sansa asked.

"Mum." Arya said.

"And how does she know this?"

"Fuck if I know."

"Arya!"

"Sansa!"

"Stop it!" Brienne shouted and both her friends turned to look at her. "I am not dating him," she said, " _but-_ "

"I fucking knew it!"

"Arya, _gods_ , let Brienne speak." Sansa said crossing her arms around her chest, Arya pulled out her tongue at her sister but said nothing otherwise.

Brienne breathed out and looked down into her cup of coffee.

"Yesterday Hyle Hunt went after me, he said we were _meant_ to be together," Brienne said and Arya groaned in disgust, "he said my father approved of him and that he already asked his permission. Anyway, he didn't seem to understand when I said no. Which I did. Many times."

"Men." Arya mumbled and Sansa smacked her in the arm.

"I did the first thing that came to my mind," Brienne continued, "I grabbed a guy near me, sure that it was Robb or Renly and just-, I said they were my date so Hyle would back off. But instead of it being someone I knew it was Jaime fucking Lannister."

"Gods!" Sansa exclaimed. Brienne looked at her and nodded her head.

"That was more or less my reaction when I noticed, but he played along with my stupid idea. At first, I couldn't understand _why_ but then he kept dragging me around telling everyone that I was his _girlfriend_ and it started to make more sense _._ "

"Fuck." Arya cursed.

"Was that why you were so weird yesterday?" Sansa asked and Brienne nodded. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I naively thought it was over!" Brienne said, "favour for a favour, a done deal. But now he's sending me messages and it seems that half of King's Landing already know we are _dating_ and it's not even the truth."

" _Fuck_." Arya said again.

"Excuse me, he's sending you messages?"

Brienne opened her phone and clicked on her message app to open the one from him. Sansa took a step forward and Arya leaned over her arm.

_See you tomorrow blue eyes._

"That's kinda creepy." Arya said.

"How did he even get your number?" Sansa wondered out loud.

"Lannisters." Arya said, as if that explained everything. "They covered a murder, this is a piece of cake." She continued.

"You don't know if it was a murder," Sansa said and Arya shrugged like she didn't much care.

Brienne locked her phone and stood up from the barstool. She moved into her living room, Sansa followed.

"Maybe it's a good idea." Sansa said and Brienne turned around toward her abruptly.

" _How?_ "

"I mean, weren't you antagonizing recently about your father setting you up with so many horrible guys? This _thing_ would end that, even if for a few months. And then you could tell your dad that you broke up and play that up as the reason you don't want him setting you up with strangers." Sansa said. "Also, Hyle Hunt will leave you alone since he _already did_ once, after meeting your Lannister date."

"Seems legit," Arya said from the barstool still drinking from her mug.

"Plus, would it really be so horrible? Jaime Lannister _is_ hot as all seven hells, it could have been so much worse."

 _It could have been better too_ , Brienne thought.

She sighed and worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Don't you think it makes little sense? Me and _him_?" She said.

"It seems like Lannister doesn't think so, neither do other people since even my mother talks about it and you know she hates gossip," Sansa said and Arya nodded her head in agreement.

"And he can fight at least, even if _he is_ a murderer," Arya added helpfully. "You can punch people together if they piss you off." 

"Arya!"

"What?!"

And that was the end of that.

-

The dress had a slit on one side that reached almost to her hip. Brienne tried very hard not to move too much when she noticed it. She didn't want to flash anyone, nor did she want to show _that_ much of her leg out to the world. Otherwise, it was pretty conservative. She liked that all of her upper body, along with her arms, was covered too.

She would have felt really comfortable in it if not for this _horrible_ slit.

Sansa didn't let her sew it over either. She just made that weird little noise, like when she was annoyed with something Arya did or said, and dragged her into her room to style her hair and do her make up like she did the other day.

So Brienne stood, awkward as she was, outside of Stark's mansion on the outskirts of King's Landing between Sansa, Jon and Theon who shared a cigarette in the semi-darkness out of Catelyn Stark's eyes.

"Brienne, stop fidgeting, you look great," Sansa said.

Brienne hadn't realized she was fidgeting, but she only narrowed eyes at her friend and Sansa chuckled passing the cigarette to Jon.

"I agree." Jaime Lannister's voice came smooth and warm from behind her just like the other evening. Brienne's pulse jumped up instantly and she cursed her nerves.

She stopped herself from turning around hoping that this would discourage him or give him a hint that she _did not_ want to talk to him.

He did not get the memo, or just ignored her lack of reaction, and she heard him walking closer towards them, small rocks crunching under his feet.

Sansa sent her a quick look before Jaime slid effortlessly between her and Theon.

"Hiding from mother wolf?" Lannister asked motioning with his head towards the cigarette. "Blue eyes." He said to her, and she looked at him, their eyes meeting with little effort before she forced herself to look away. She could feel the heat coming upon her cheeks.

"Like you wouldn't." Said Theon and took a last drag from the cigarette before throwing it on the ground and grinding it under his boot.

Lannister chuckled and moved his head to the side as if saying _you might be right_. Theon threw him a small smirk in return.

"You two know each other?" Jon asked, looking up at Brienne from under his eyebrows. So not _everyone_ knew yet.

Lannister looked towards her once again but she almost instantly turned the other way. Not that she couldn't feel his eyes on her. Or everyone else's.

"We've met," Lannister said but didn't elaborate.

The awkward silence fell around them until Sansa cleared her throat and crooked her head toward the door.

"We have to go, I'm sure mother is looking for us already." She said. "Have a nice evening Lord Lannister."

Jon moved after her without a word and Theon followed them both.

Brienne started walking as well, but Lannister's hand wrapped around her arm and stopped her in her tracks. She turned around, looked at him and yanked her arm from his grip maybe a little too forcefully. He put his hands slightly upwards and moved a step back, small smile playing in the corners of his lips.

"Shouldn't we talk?" He asked.

"About what?" Brienne asked dumbly.

Lannister raised his eyebrows.

" _Oh_ , you mean about yesterday?" She said. "Or did you mean the cryptic message I got afterward?"

"So you got it, I was wondering about that."

Brienne huffed and shook her head.

"What was that even supposed to mean?"

Lannister looked at her as if she was crazy.

"I thought it was pretty clear." He said. "Wasn't it clear?"

"No. And how did you even got my number?" She saw him opening his mouth, and she shook her head. "You know what, I don't want to know."

Lannister looked to the side and chuckled. He straightened the lapels of the perfectly tailored tux that he choose to wear, his golden hair brushing over his eyebrows.

Brienne moved in place, leaning from one foot to another and crossed her arms over her chest.

She saw Lannister's head shift toward her and his eyes followed her form slowly from her feet up to her hips. His lips moved and his teeth peeked out. He bit on his lower lip.

And then she realized that she _moved_ and all of her pale, freckled leg was out on display.

_This damn slit._

She moved back to her earlier position where the dress seemed to behave more properly and Lannister straightened a little and looked into her eyes.

"So," he said, "half of my family thinks you're my girlfriend. _Hell,_ half of King's Landing probably thinks the same by now." He smirked at her once again and, she didn't know _why_ but it unnerved her _so much._ "Your lover-boy-" Lannister said and motioned with his head behind her. She turned her head around and sure there was Hyle Hunt talking with... _g_ _ods_ , was it her father? It was her father, clad in the Tarth colours no less, "-thinks you're my girlfriend too." Lannister continued and she turned back to him. "I see two options here. Either we continue with this lie, have fun and escape some unnecessary matchmaking," he moved closer toward her and lowered his voice, "isn't that your father right there?" he whispered, and then moved back and continued in his regular tone " _or_ we say we faked it for a night for whatever reason, become the laughingstock of this wretched holiday for gods only know how long and disappoint our fathers. Or my aunt at least, she seemed to have liked you."

Brienne looked away from him and bit the inside of her cheek.

There was really not that much stacked against this idea. Apart from the fact that it was completely ridiculous and unbelievable, the main reason she didn't want to do this was that she really didn't like lying to her father.

On the other hand, Sansa was right and this would have given her a break from her father's - well-wished, but awful - matchmaking attempts.

Also, Jaime Lannister seemed to be getting on her nerves and she wasn't sure how far he was going to take it.

She was afraid it was going to be very far.

Lannister pulled out his bent arm and looked at her with that awfully annoying smirk. So damn sure of himself and of her answer.

 _Fucking asshole_.

But what did she have to lose, really?

She sighed, already annoyed with herself that she was going to prove him right and moved toward him. She slipped her hand in the crook of his arm and tried very hard to calm herself down.

Otherwise, she might have just disregarded everything that Hunt was so afraid of the other evening and punch Jaime Lannister right in the face.

-

"We're staying away from your family." Was the first thing she said to him and after they walked inside the Stark's mansion. The heads of the people they passed were already turning and Brienne willed herself to ignore them.

"Very well," Lannister said, already amused, "I don't promise they'll stay away from us, however. I've never brought a date before, you're an oddity."

She was sure she was an oddity in the eyes of his family - and everyone else - in more ways than one.

"So what do we do?"

"I don't know, let's just _mingle_ I guess." He said looking around the room decorated in greys and whites with Stark's direwolves dancing as lights on the ceiling.

_That is going to be much harder than I thought._

But then it wasn't.

They got drinks and found food and it seemed Lannister wasn't half as bad of a conversationalist as she thought he would be.

They stood face to face, and it was easier to speak to him like that when she was further away from him. Not that other _things_ did not distract her.

But she _was not_ thinking about that.

She didn't know when or how that happened but she started talking about the ancient history of Westeros and about armour and swords - of all things - and, surprisingly, Lannister's eyes came alive at that.

"You like ancient history?" He asked, voice full of wonder, as if she was the very first person to ever take an interest in that topic.

"I've studied it," she said, "before..., _well_ , before I had to do something else."

Lannister's smile was different, more understanding than all the others he threw her way before.

"I've studied it too." He said.

"You did?" Brienne asked, eyebrows scrunching just a little.

Lannister chuckled and moved his head to the side.

"I'm not as much of an idiot as everyone thinks I am." He said.

"I _didn't_ -"

"I don't care." He interrupted her, looked to the side. "Anyway, in three days' time we will be at Lannister's estate. We got nice collection of ancient weaponry in King's Landing, not what we have in Casterly but it will do. I can show you then, if you'd like."

Brienne tried to quench her excitement and dimmish the smile that threatened to come onto her face but she wasn't sure she was very successful in that.

"Sure, that would be nice." She said.

And then there was that stupid Lannister smirk again, _just_ when she was starting to think he might not be that bad.

"I'm sure it would be _nice_." He teased.

She had to roll her eyes at him, she just _had to._ Otherwise she would punch him and she preferred not to punch him.

For now, at least.

"You know what, maybe I should start calling you wench _._ " He said.

Brienne's eyes widened.

"What?!"

"As a pet name, you know, and it also correlates with our interests. That's what couples do, right?"

She didn't have much experience in that regard but _wench_? Really?

"You will not call me that." She said firmly.

He smiled.

"We will see about that."

Brienne sighed and moved away from him, walking through the crowd.

"You're unbearable." She said feeling Lannister following her right behind.

"I never had complaints." He said.

"Bet you didn't," Brienne mumbled and pushed forward toward the other side of the hall.

"What did you say?"

"I said fuck you Jaime Lannister."

His laugh warmed her from the inside, it seemed to travel from her chest toward her hands and feet and head. It was like a sun, like a soft wind on a spring morning.

She hated it _so much_.

-

Lannister seemed to be glued to her hip, and she was doing everything to be as far away from him as possible since her body seemed to have some weird, nervous reaction to him.

It was the novelty of it all; she was sure, but it wasn't very comfortable nonetheless.

They sat side by side with drinks in their hands watching a _play_ , about mothers in some ancient language that she didn't understand.

At least that's what she thought it was, considering the scenes before her.

She felt some commotion and someone new moved onto the seat next to hers.

"This is the most boring thing I was ever forced to watch."

She turned to the man beside her, soon realizing that it was Lannister's infamous brother Tyrion. He threw a smirk her way and Brienne almost rolled her eyes. _Of course._

"It's so nice finally meeting my brother's _girlfriend_. I've heard nothing about you." He leaned toward her whispering.

She gave him a small smile that she hoped he'd interpret as some kind of answer she didn't really have and turned back to watch the rest of the play.

When it was over people dispersed, the chairs were taken away to make room for people to dance on as the band was setting up.

Lannister brothers greeted each other and Brienne moved towards the bar. She asked for another drink and when she got it both Tyrion and Jaime were with her again.

"I have to say, I approve of my brother's change in taste," Tyrion said and saluted her with his cup, that seemed to have been recently replaced with a full one.

"Tyrion." Jaime scolded, but his tone was light and there was a smile on his lips.

"Ignore him," Tyrion said to her. "Let me entertain you with a story." He smiled and drew a tale of young Lannister idiot - his words, not hers - who got into a bet with the village boys about who would jump from the steep cliffs at Lannisport. He won, of course, _the golden child._

Brienne looked at Jaime with a barely hidden amusement.

"I thought father would kill me when he learned about that." He said, putting one of his hands into the pocket of his tux and Brienne just now noticed the red, angry scars crossing his skin.

She looked up at his face hastily. He didn't notice her noticing.

"I thought _aunt Genna_ would kill you," Tyrion said and took a drink from his cup.

"I wouldn't have blamed her," Brienne said and Tyrion chuckled.

"I like her." He said to Jaime and Jaime looked at her with his beautiful, annoying, green eyes. They slipped downwards for a second and she glanced herself to check it her dress was all over the place. It wasn't, _thank gods_.

She was going to kill Loras.

Brienne looked at Tyrion as he went on with yet another story from the Lannister's brother's youth.

She was enjoying herself, a pleasant surprise.

Tywin Lannister seemed to have departed from the party after an hour at the latest, followed close by his daughter. Old Stark-Lannister feud was holding on well, with some Lannisters at least.

Jaime and Tyrion didn't seem to have that problem, even if Brienne noticed Catelyn sending suspicious glances toward them on a few occasions.

Sansa and Renly joined them at the bar just as Tyrion was finishing one of his more embarrassing stories and as the evening winded down Sansa invited them to move the party into the kitchens.

Jon, Theon, Arya, and Loras - who had to bring the attention to Brienne's dress, which made her even more uncomfortable about it - were already there with a few other people Brienne didn't know but they all sat around the kitchen isle on the barstools and with Tyrion leading them got into some heated discussion about country's politics.

The topics changed as the night went on, but Brienne felt happier and warmer than she's remembered feeling in a long time.

It was late when they finally dispersed and even later still when Brienne got home - as she stayed over at Stark's to help them clean up a bit.

The second she got home her phone buzzed from a little purse Sansa borrowed her for the evening.

She unlocked it without much thought, and couldn't help but shake her head when she read the message she received.

 _See you tomorrow wench_.

She copied the number, created a new contact and saved it as _golden fool._


	3. The Maiden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for all the kudos and comments! I'm surprised & delighted with them all ♥

The view from the balcony was magnificent.

The vast rose gardens surrounding Tyrell's mansion were covered in freshly fallen snow. The lanterns were lit around small alleyways. A few couples walking around, Brienne couldn't tell their faces from so high up. The soft, classical music was spreading from the main hall even up to where she stood.

_It could have been romantic_ , Brienne thought, _in different circumstances_. At a different time, with a woman that wasn't her.

She was not made for things like this. She didn't want them anymore either. It just made her sad, sometimes. _Melancholic_. Longing for things she never really had.

She looked down and scoffed to herself, shook her head.

Cold shiver rushed over her exposed skin. _Maybe it’s time to go back inside_.

"Isn't it a little cold standing out here with no coat on?" Lannister's voice reached her from behind, as if the wind blowing softly at her back.

She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder.

"The flooring is heated." Brienne said in an answer.

It was, just like the paths in the garden below. The warmth was fleeting and Brienne knew that it was enough for some people when they wanted a quick smoke or just some fresh air. It was not nearly enough for her.

But he didn’t have to know that.

"Your dress has a triangle cut out on the back," Lannister said finally reaching her and leaning his hip on the marble railing. He cocked his head to the side looking her in the eyes.

"I know." She said, locking her eyes with his.

At this point, it felt like every time this happened they had a silent battle to see who'd turn away first.

Right now, it was him.

"Sansa told me you went out here," Lannister said looking down at the couples in the garden, his golden hair darkened with the night sky. "I thought maybe we should talk strategy."

Brienne's eyebrows rose.

"Strategy?"

"You know, like..., how we met." He looked at her again. The shirt, partially hidden by the black tuxedo jacket, was almost as green as his eyes. Brienne didn't know why but she couldn't stop focusing on that for a few seconds. It seemed it was way too long for the Lannister and he cleared his throat rudely and Brienne's eyes shot up to meet with his once more.

"So?"

"You know how we met." She said.

She moved her hands from the railing and straightened herself. She crossed her arms over her chest feeling another shiver traveling down her neck. She tried to suppress it.

Lannister looked to the side with a sigh.

"I didn't mean-, _gods_ , I meant how we _supposedly_ met. For our fake relationship story?" He said. _Ah, yes._ "A few of my relatives already asked me that and I don't think they will be the only ones."

"What did you tell them?"

He glanced at her and then back at the garden.

"I told them I'm looking for you and just passed them in a fake hurry."

Brienne chuckled softly.

"Smooth."

"Don't laugh at me!" Jaime said turning his head to her again, fake hurt colouring his voice. He put both of his hands above his heart, as if she pierced through it, his scarred one underneath the other.

It was a second, maybe more, but he noticed her looking and hid his right hand by his side.

_"So_ , how did we meet?" Lannister asked again, waited barely a few seconds for her answer before speaking again. " _Wench._ "

"Don't call me that!"

"Then help me here a little."

"I am _already_ helping you."

"I thought we were helping each other," Lannister said. He put his hands into the pockets of his slacks and the movement made her notice a little shining thread on his black jacket. Where those... _little lions_ embossed on his tux?

"Alright," Lannister said again. His eyes narrowing, looking somewhere above her head, "let's say... we met at the museum. We both like ancient history so that would make sense I think." The last part was barely audible, like if he was talking to himself rather than to her. His eyes moved to hers once more. "First date?" He asked.

First date with Jaime Lannister? She guessed he'd take his dates to one of those overpriced restaurants where you had to dress up to be even let into. That or something else similarly ostentatious.

She wouldn't have said yes to date like this. Not that they even had been on a date because this was a _fake relationship_. Not that Jaime Lannister would have ever even asked her on one.

_Gods,_ when she thought about it she felt like an idiot.

"Beach." She said to stop her brain from traveling any further than it already did.

"What?"

"You took me to the beach for our first date." She said, heat rising in her cheeks. She couldn't look at him, turned her eyes toward the other side.

A shiver ran through her again. She moved in place, seemingly just changing position but she hoped it would move the blood in her body and warm her up.

"How long have we been together? I guess that's important." Lannister wondered out loud. "This somehow needs to make sense with our schedules. You live in King's Landing, right?"

She turned her head back around.

"Yes." She said.

"Good, that makes everything much easier. I think we should make it more recent than not." He paused and turned facing the railing, put his hands on the marble and leaned forward. She could feel more of his heat like this and she inched slightly closer.

He turned his head and looked at her for a second or two.

In one swift motion, he was out of his lion embossed jacket. He covered her shoulders with it and it fitted her almost perfectly. _We might even be the same size_ , she thought while she pulled the lapels of the jacket closer around herself. It was still warm from his body and it smelled like him.

"Thank you." She whispered.

He gave her a nod and leaned on his hands again. He looked down into the garden.

"Let's say..., two months." He said, getting them back on track with the conversation again.

"I was home back early November so that won't work." She said. "Six weeks?" Brienne suggested, feeling like she was negotiating with some business clients.

"I was away from Kings Landing for a business trip." He sighed. "Four weeks?"

She narrowed her eyes, slanted her head to the side. She slid her cheek over the silky material of the jacket absent mindedly and tried to remember where she was a month ago, wondering if meeting him back then in one of the museums she frequented might have made sense.

It did.

It definitely did.

He would have fitted neatly in the empty spaces of her life between her work and her friends.

She nodded.

"That would work."

"All right then." He said. She could hear a smile in his voice and when she turned toward him, he had one of those on his lips. The real one, his green eyes were alight with it too. She couldn't help when the corners of her mouth moved slightly to mimic his own. "Does it mean today is our monthaversary?"

Her head moved back slightly.

"Our _what_?" She asked.

" _Monthaversary_." He said, slower as if he thought she couldn't understand him. "Our one month anniversary."

"Are you twelve?" She asked.

"Is that your preferred dating range?"

"Seven hells!" She snapped at him. He was so, _so_ -

He was laughing at her again.

"Just teasing." He said and looked down. "We better go, I think." He said motioning to the empty garden. She nodded.

The empty garden could only mean one thing; Tyrell's entertainment of the party has begun.

-

There were ballet dancers gliding on the glassy floors of the main hall and aerial acrobats hanging in the air on the silky pieces of green fabric.

They all looked so young to Brienne, like children, but she guessed that was the point. It was Maiden's day after all and Tyrell's always went with the theme.

Brienne could see Margery talking with Sansa right in front of her on the other side of the room. They were sharing soft touches and were leaning close to each other and Brienne couldn't shake off the feeling that _something_ was going on. She would have to ask Sansa about that later tonight.

Jaime Lannister stood next to her, the jacket he borrowed her was back on his shoulders. He looked much better in it than she did.

They all watched the dance in silence, in the room covered in darkness, apart from the lights following the artists’ movements.

She felt much more at ease like this, hidden in the darkness. She swayed with the soft music.

When the show ended, the crowd rang with applause. The lights were turned only half-way leaving the room in a soft semi-darkness.

The orchestra started another piece and people paired up for the dance.

Brienne felt a hand sliding on her lower back, warm fingers caressing naked skin that the dress exposed. A sigh escaped her lips, and she looked to the side at Jaime Lannister.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked, his green eyes almost black in this mellow light.

"I don't dance," Brienne said. Her throat felt dry and she licked her lips. Jaime glanced down toward her mouth for a second before his eyes moved back to hers.

"You have to dance with me." He said and didn't really leave her an option to say no, as he dragged her towards the middle of the floor and took her in his arms.

They swayed to the music, cautiously at first, but finding their rhythm soon enough. They did not talk and so time stretched out before her as they circled the room.

She could feel his breath on her face, could feel the tips of his fingers on her naked skin. He held her hand softly in his own, looking into her eyes.

She felt right at this moment. There was nothing _wrong_ with this, nowhere else she would rather be. It was him, her, and the soft sway of their bodies.

She smiled softly and Jaime smiled back. The warmth that spread through her had nothing to do with the heat of the room.

-

She didn't notice before how often did his hand wander towards the small of her back, but with this dress, it was a hard thing to miss.

Every time he touched her, his warm fingers met her naked flesh, and she flinched a little and trembled inside and tried to stop herself from moving away.

She didn't think he did that on purpose; he was probably used to it, putting his hand on the lower backs of his dates like a guide, a reminder _I am here_.

She did not _need_ that reminder. She was aware of him at all times. But it wasn't really something that should bother her, they were _dating_ after all, and she knew they looked more convincing as a couple with some level of closeness and intimacy.

And as of yet, no one seemed to question their relationship in the slightest.

They did take a double look at them, at _her_ on his arm, but the questions she saw in their eyes were not about the authenticity of their relationship. They were more along the lines of _how?_ , and _why?_ , and _her?_

She knew what most of them thought of her anyway, so it did not bother her. She was actually amused that they seemed to be succeeding at this fake relationship amongst the people priding themselves on knowing everything about everyone.

They were circling around the crowd, talking with some people, exchanging pleasantries.

Brienne usually disliked that part the most, but with him, it was much easier. People seemed to be quickly won over with his effortless charm and he seemed to be able to keep up small talk for a very long time, in contrast to Brienne. Their earlier conversation also came in handy, as people were interested in how they met.

Brienne wasn't surprised, since they didn't really spin in the same circle, as close to the Starks as she was.

All in all it was a rather pleasant evening.

Until she felt the coldness seeping slowly into her bones and when she looked around Tywin Lannister was walking toward her and Jaime.

She elbowed Lannister softly and she could see some jab almost slipping from his lips just before he noticed his father too.

Tywin Lannister stopped right in front of them, landing at the spot that was perfectly appropriate for social conversation but at the same time seemed _far_ too close.

The look he gave her was unsettling; like in one glance, he could measure all the wrongdoings of her life. Brienne felt her chest clenching unpleasantly and Jaime stiffened beside her. She moved closer toward him, slipped her hands around his arm and he pulled it up so she could lean on him. She moved her thumb over his sleeve in, what she hoped was, a somewhat soothing motion.

Jaime didn't look at her, watching his father's every move as if in anticipation of some kind of attack.

"Father." Jaime greeted him.

"Jaime." His father said right back with a stiff nod.

"This is-"

"Lady Brienne of Tarth." His father interjected. "Your _girlfriend_. I am aware." The word _girlfriend_ sounded like an insult from his lips. "I am disappointed, however, that I was not made aware of that fact _before_ the Sevenmas began."

"It-it's quite recent my lord," Brienne said, taking the weight of Tywin's gaze away from Jaime and onto herself. Nervous energy floated through her but she pushed on. "We didn't want to announce it so early on when we both weren't sure of what it truly was."

Tywin Lannister's eyebrow moved slightly upwards and his eyes slid across her face with what seemed like disinterest.

"That's very prudent of you both." He said, finally. "I'm assuming it's your influence over my son, lady Brienne, an interesting development." Tywin looked between both of them. "It doesn't change the fact that I should have been informed earlier. I'm sure your father would have appreciated the courtesy as well, lady Brienne, since he hasn't been aware of your arrangement either."

"You've spoken with Selwyn Tarth?" Jaime asked, the tone of his voice rising.

"Yes, I informed him of your predicament," Tywin said.

_Predicament?_

"Predicament?" Said Jaime.

" _Yes._ " Tywin Lannister said, the word stretched out. "This is _not_ how we do things in this family Jaime, in none of the ancient families. Or have you forgotten?"

They were supposed to ask _permission_ , which was an utterly ridiculous notion but nowadays it really boiled down to informing your family first _before_ everyone else. That's what Tywin's meant, she was pretty sure, since the information surprised him and put him in an embarrassing situation in front of the people attending the biggest celebration of the year.

Now when Brienne thought about it, maybe it was exactly one of Jaime Lannister's reasons for doing what he did.

"I have not," Jaime said and Brienne was once again a witness to the conversation that seemed to happen just between the eyes of a father and a son.

She wished for aunt Genna to appear next to them and interrupt that conversion like she did the last time. Or at least to whisk her away from it.

"Lady Brienne." Tywin Lannister turned to her suddenly and Brienne blinked before she could focus on him. "It was a pleasure, I'm sure we will speak very soon." He said and gave her a stiff nod.

He walked away before she could say anything back.

It took a few seconds before she shook herself and took a deep breath. Jaime did the same thing next to her.

"So..., _that_ happened," Jaime mumbled, and she looked at him.

"What is wrong with your family?" Brienne asked.

Lannister chuckled and pulled her softly in the direction of the bar.

"Everything." He said.

-

Sansa stumbled behind her into her apartment; she threw her high heels into the corner and walked towards Brienne's sofa with a groan.

Brienne sighed, her phone buzzed with a message.

_Did you get home okay?_ From the _golden fool_ that was Jaime Lannister.

_Yes_. She wrote back and closed the door to her apartment. She walked into her bedroom and rummaged through her wardrobe for some pyjamas for her and Sansa.

Her phone buzzed again.

_I liked the dress_. She read on the screen.

_A lot_. Came another message not even a second later.

Brienne shook her head and threw the phone on the bed. She changed into her pyjamas and walked back to the living room.

"I hate those shoes," Sansa moaned, she was laying on the couch with her eyes closed, "I'm never wearing heels again."

"Sure." Brienne said. Her friend opened one of her eyes. Brienne threw pyjamas on her head. "Get out of this dress, let's clean up and we can go to sleep."

"No Lannister talk tonight?" Sansa asked while she got up and passed her on her way to the bathroom.

"I've got enough of Lannisters for one day." Brienne said and walked into the kitchen to pour them each a glass of water.

"I don't blame you!" Sansa shouted before Brienne heard the click of the bathroom door.

Brienne took a drink from her glass before turning all the lights off and walking into her bedroom.

She had to message her father.


	4. The Crone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and leaving kudos & comments!

When Brienne first saw the dress Loras made for her for Crone's day she thought he must have had completely lost his mind.

She felt naked with the whole of her back on display two thin strips of fabric crisscrossing on her freckled skin. There were also slits, not _one_ but two, on both sides of the skirt so there was no way that she could walk without having most of her bulky legs on display.

And she thought it couldn't get worse than the previous dresses.

She was _so_ wrong.

Sansa clapped her hands when she saw her in it telling her that she was paranoid when Brienne expressed her concerns. She pointed out to her own dress with a long v-shaped neckline that reached almost toward her navel.

"You look great," her friend said, "and it's not like you have anything else to wear." Which was true. "Besides, it's Martell's party!" Sansa added, as if that was a reason enough to put so much of anyone's skin on display.

Brienne tried not to think of Jaime Lannister seeing her in this thing.

She was not very successful with that.

When they got to Martell's estate and Brienne looked around she realized that she was still one of the more conservatively dressed people.

"Everyone is half naked at this party." Jaime's voice came first before she felt his presence by her side. They exchanged glances and he reached toward her with a champagne flute he brought with him.

"I wouldn't have thought such things mattered to you, Lord Lannister," Sansa said.

Brienne took a glass from his hand and Jaime made a face.

"Jaime would do," he said, "and it doesn't matter to me, just personally I prefer to see more clothes on people in social situations such as this one."

"I agree," Jon said drinking from his glass next to her, "I didn't think Baelish would go this far."

"But if it's women then you don't mind, do you?" Sansa asked.

Jon shrugged.

"S _ome_ women," Jaime said and looked at Brienne conspiratorially. As if she knew which women he meant.

"Some men, too." Jon interjected, looking around the room.

"True." Jaime nodded.

"Alright, I agree with you too," Sansa said, "I guess we should be happy with what we get and try not to look at _other_ things." She added and finished her drink in one gulp. "In any case, I am not drunk enough for this party just yet. Gonna head to the bar."

"Wait for me," Jon said and then both of them were gone into the crowd.

Brienne drank from her champagne flute and looked at Lannister. He wore a variation on a Dornish gown himself, like most of the surrounding men, but it wasn't as revealing. The material was silky and orange. She liked it, even if it didn't really seem his style.

" _Gods,_ " Jaime said, "look at my father."

Brienne looked up onto Lannister’s face and followed his gaze.

Tywin Lannister stood talking with Olenna Tyrell and Oberyn Martell dressed in a full piece tuxedo buttoned up to his neck.

"He can't be comfortable like this," Brienne said.

It was way too hot in here.

Martells held the party in their winter garden full of tropical plants and small bodies of water. It felt like being on some exotic island in the middle of winter and Brienne had to admit that it was a pleasant change. The long winter, which was supposed to be the shortest in the history of Westeros, was already feeling overly long and cold.

But as much as she enjoyed this place, Brienne was not sure it was a good choice for a Sevenmas party. Especially a _Crone's_ party.

"I don't think my father will stay long," Jaime said interrupting her musings.

Brienne had to agree. He already looked more annoyed than she's seen him before.

"I like your dress," Jaime blurted, and she turned her head toward him. "Another blue one." He added. "Blue is your colour, it goes well with your eyes."

The air left her lungs in a sigh and she could feel her cheeks flushing red.

His eyes slipped from her face and traveled down her body, over the floaty material and her exposed skin. There was way too much of it on display.

_Why_ was Loras doing this to her?

Brienne put her free hand over her arm trying to somehow hide herself.

"Loras made it," She said, "just like the other three."

She turned her head to the side looking over the crowd trying no to think of Jaime's eyes on her.

"He has a good eye." Jaime praised.

Brienne looked back at him again.

"He has real talent, I think," she said truthfully. The dresses might have been too much for her but they were really nice, "even if his grandmother considers it all a folly."

Jaime shrugged.

"Olenna always had firm opinions but she can also see potential. She might change her mind yet."

Lannister looked to the side and then back at her.

"Do you want another one?" He asked.

Brienne looked at the empty glass she was holding in her hand. Then noticed Renly and Loras coming her way from her right. She glanced at Jaime and nodded her head.

He took the glass and left her alone for a few seconds before her friends reached her side.

-

"Do you think I’m a murderer too?"

She jumped a little when she heard him, and turned around from where she was leaning on the wall. She thought no one would find her in this alcove when she wandered into it. It looked like a perfect place to hide.

Seemed there was nowhere to hide from Jaime Lannister.

After the initial shock the words he said finally registered.

"Do I-, _what_?!"

"Your little Stark friend-, " he said, interrupting himself midway " _Arya,_ was it?," he wondered out loud, "-told me something along the lines of _you better not be a murderer if you want to date Brienne_."

_She did what?!_

Brienne didn’t know what to say to that. Jaime looked to the side and sighed loudly, impatiently.

"Fucking Aerys.” He cursed, glanced at her for a second before turning his eyes away again.

She bit the inside of her cheek and looked away from him too. He was angry, she could tell.

"Is that how you think of me too?" He asked.

She wasn’t sure what she thought of him now, after spending so much time around him, after meeting his immediate family.

She knew things about him, but she knew things about him even before they really met.

She knew about Aerys but everyone knew about that. Everyone knew about the _accident_ , the death of the president was not a trivial thing. Not to mention all the media fixating on Lannister family after that. The media were a mirror, however, and she knew they distorted the truth, she never fully trusted those.

It was harder to disregard Ned Stark’s words, especially when he died soon after and whose death was closely followed by this of his friend, Cersei’s late husband, Robert. On the other hand, there was Daenerys, who seemed to bestow her friendship on both Jaime and Tyrion despite the accusations put on the former.

Everything was so unclear and everyone seemed to have their own opinion about what happened and how much Lannister family, and Jaime in particular, took their part in that.

She preferred not to dwell on it, she never thought she’d have to deal with any of the Lannisters for _any_ reason.

She was very wrong.

It took her a few minutes too long to look at Jaime and answer him and he seemed to interpret her silence as some kind of answer. His face was stern, green eyes darkened into the colour of his sister’s eyes.

Her voice trembled even before she spoke.

"Does it matter what I think?" She asked trying not to turn her eyes away from his.

He scoffed and shook his head. He kept looking at her like he didn’t understand her at all; it was hard to bear his gaze, and she felt antsy hoping for a distraction.

It came sooner than she thought it would as her father’s voice interrupted them and they both jumped apart from each other. Only then she realized they were so close.

"Brienne."

It wasn’t hard to put a smile on her face and turn around toward her father. He gathered her in a hug, his large frame enveloping her, making her feel small. They stood like that for a while. His embrace was like a balm on her nerves, the smell of the Tarth’s sea lingered on his clothes. Or maybe it was just her imagination.

When her father finally let her go he looked at Jaime who sported a small smile of his own. If she hasn’t seen him charming the crowds for three days already she would have been surprised how fast he could go from anger to this _placidity_.

She cleared her throat.

"Dad, meet Jaime Lannister, he's my-, _my_ -"

_Damn._ She could not say it.

She reached to Lannister and caught his hand in her own. His right hand, his scarred hand. She noticed just then, threw him a look not sure of how he’d react but his eyes only widened. There was surprise sweeping the rest of the anger she saw there, before turning the colour of his irises to its regular hue.

He squeezed her hand and looked at her father.

"I'm the boyfriend." Jaime threw in helpfully and reached out his other hand to her father.

Her father reached back, measuring him with his eyes coolly. Lannister seemed unfazed. They shook hands.

"So I've heard." Her father said still keeping Jaime's hand in his own. "Your father is..."

Jaime chuckled.

" _Yes_ ," he said, "he gets that reaction a lot."

Her father smiled and finally let go of Jaime's hand. Then he embraced her with one hand squeezing her arm and her left hand slipped from Jaime’s right with the intensity of the move.

"So how did you two meet?" Her father asked, casually, although she could hear the curiosity in his voice. She sent him a message that she’ll explain everything but she wasn’t very keen on doing that. Her father usually waited her out, never pushing for more information that she was willing to give but now it looked like this _thing_ she supposedly had with Lannister was too big of temptation even for him.

"At the museum," Jaime said, interrupting her thoughts and answering her father’s question.

"Which one?"

"The national," Jaime countered without hesitation, "at the weaponry exhibition."

Her father nodded in contemplation.

"That makes sense," her father said, "Brienne spends way too much time there."

" _Dad._ " Brienne couldn’t help but rebuke him quietly.

"What? It's true." Her father said. "At least now you're not going alone."

She huffed and Jaime looked at her; he smiled softly. The corners of her lips lifted without her consent.

"Lord Tarth," Jaime said and looked at her father, "would you tell me about your island? Brienne didn’t share a lot of information."

She narrowed her eyes at Lannister but he didn’t see. Her father squeezed her arm in silent appreciation and the two of them fell into comfortable conversation.

Her father regaled Jaime with tales of Tarth and of how reckless she was as a child. Lannister seemed to lighten up more with each story.

Brienne found herself a silent observer as they moved on from the stories about her youth to Lannister’s job and her father’s business. They talked about Casterly Rock and King’s Landing and after that Brienne lost track of their words. It was easy, between Jaime's soft amused looks, her father's easy approval, and her own overturning thoughts.

Her father seemed to like Lannister already and it felt so, _so_ … confusing.

When she imagined ever bringing someone to meet her father, she thought it would be something like this. Slight wariness at the very beginning and then easy conversation while her father liked whoever she chose more and more.

With the way he looked at her she _knew_ he was starting to like Lannister more and more right now.

But it was all fake, they were _faking it_. He was not her boyfriend, and it wasn’t real and _why_ did her father like him? She didn’t _need_ her father to like Jaime Lannister.

And why was Lannister trying so hard? They needed to sell their lie but wasn’t _this_ , whatever he was doing, too much?

First, he almost accuses her of thinking him a murderer and now _this_?

Brienne closed her eyes as something squeezed tightly in her chest and kept its hold. It did not let go when she opened them again and looked at her father and Jaime talking and laughing together like old friends.

It was all too hot suddenly, too stifling. Too many people, too many thoughts. Too much of everything.

She had to go, _now._

"Excuse me," she said, interrupting whatever her father was saying and bolted out of the room.

She didn't look back.

-

The cold air felt harsh in her lungs after spending so much time inside.

It was good. Fresh enough to clear her mind. Not that it helped much with whatever she was feeling.

She noticed Theon, standing a few feet away from the door, smoking. She walked toward him.

"Can I have one?" She asked.

Theon startled for a second before his expression went back to normal and he shrugged pulling the pack of cigarettes toward her.

She took one along with the lighter that was stuck in the box.

She didn't smoke, didn't like it at all, but she hoped desperately that it would somehow chase away the feeling in her chest.

Theon finished his cigarette and nodded his head once at her before walking away.

Brienne clutched her coat closer around herself and looked at the snow that gathered at the hem of her blue dress. Martell’s didn’t bother with the heated garden when they had one on the inside, it seemed.

She didn't like lying to her father and this whole thing, it just... it felt _too_ real and not real enough all at once. It was too much. Jaime Lannister was too much.

Why did her father like him, anyway? There was nothing to like.

Lannister was rude and obnoxious; he was the most arrogant man she's ever met. The way he was looking at her sometimes... or the way he looked at her today, when she asked him-, he was only nice to her because he wanted something from her and he was only nice to her father because they had to sell this lie.

He was charming, sure, but her father could usually _see_ through that.

Not this time.

She took another small drag from the cigarette and exhaled slowly looking up at the dark sky clouded by the smoke. She wished she could see the stars but Martell's estate had too much light around it and the city's lights didn't help.

"So you smoke." Lannister's voice came suddenly from behind her.

She didn't turn around. Hoped he would leave her alone. She didn't want to see him.

"None of your business." She snapped.

There was a short silence before he spoke again.

"It's nice to learn a thing or two about your girlfriend from time to time you know." She felt him stopping next to her, snow crunching under his expensive shoes.

"I am not your girlfriend," Brienne said and took a drag from the cigarette again.

He said nothing to that and they stood in silence. The cigarette slowly burned between her fingers and she held tightly to it. She could feel Lannister's warmth by her side, she could feel his eyes on her.

She came out here to be alone, to _think_ , to try and understand whatever it was that she was feeling because it made very little sense.

She didn't want Jaime Lannister here.

"Have I said something?" He asked, voice floating quietly toward her. "Is it about-," he started but faltered and Brienne closed her eyes and sighed.

_Has he said something? Was it about-, about what?_

She said nothing, she just wanted him to go.

"Wench." He said, trying to propel her to speak.

"Stop calling me that."

" _Brienne._ " He said softer.

_Wench_ was bad, but _gods_ this was so much worse.

"Brienne." He repeated.

"Stop." She snapped again, head turning toward him. "This is not about you." She said, the heat climbing up her veins suddenly. "Not everything is about you."

Jaime took a step back slowly.

He looked at her for a little while longer, green eyes searching her own. What was he looking for? She had no idea, she had no idea if he found it either but after a while he turned his head and nodded. He left her without another word.

She was all alone again in Martell’s cold garden.

-

Sansa found her right away when she finally gathered her courage to go back inside.

"Brienne, thank gods!" She said grasping her by the arm. "I thought you might have been dragged to one of those orgies, I think Jon has."

Brienne raised her eyebrows at her.

They walked further into the winter gardens and Sansa grabbed them both some drinks. Brienne looked around the crowd.

"He's gone." She said. "And your father went too, asked me to kiss you goodbye."

Brienne nodded. She wasn’t sure if she felt relieved or if she felt disappointed about that. She _wanted_ to avoid them, but now when both her father and Lannister were gone she wasn’t sure it was what she wanted after all.

She almost turned towards Sansa but then Cersei Lannister caught her gaze. The woman's green eyes narrowed and her lips curled slowly into a triumphant smirk. Brienne couldn’t look away.

"I think Jaime had a fight with her. I saw them arguing about something." Sansa said, noticing her looking Cersei's way. "He was furious when he left her." Her friend added and took a drink from her glass. "Uh, that's horrible." She mumbled to herself. "I thought he would look for you." She said to Brienne.

Brienne shrugged.

"Have you noticed I'm not drunk yet?" Sansa said, changing the topic and Brienne was glad for her friend’s sensitivity, "I don't know what's in those drinks." She added.

Brienne forced a chuckle.

"I think you're a little drunk," Brienne said.

Sansa bit the smile that blossomed on her face.

"You might be right cause I think I might have kissed Margery Tyrell."

"What!?" Brienne said, her mind finally snapping away from Jaime Lannister and her father towards something else entirely.

Sansa looked at her and then burst into a fit of drunken giggles.

-

They got home later than Brienne expected they would.

It took some time to drag Jon out of the orgy _he did_ somehow found himself a part of. Finding Arya was another task too, since she was looking around Martell’s basements. Robb was hanging onto Theon as if he was his lifeline when they found them both by one of the bars. They were all way too wasted by that point, not that the rest of the guests were in any better state, but Brienne couldn’t just leave them there on their own. Or worse, send them home to their mother.

That’s how she found herself escorting all the Starks and Theon into her apartment.

Brienne moved sleeping Sansa into her small guestroom while Arya _helped_ in the end falling onto the bed next to her sister. All Brienne could do was to take their shoes off and cover them with blankets and a duvet.

Theon and Jon maneuvered Robb into her living room and Brienne found them trying to pull out her large sofa. She wasn’t sure if to laugh at them or scorn them. In the end she did neither and pulled out her sofa for them. The three of them fell onto it in a heap of bodies. Brienne shook her head, brought more blankets from her room and covered them.

She filled glasses with water and left one for each of her friends by their sides.

When she finally closed herself in her bedroom she had no more strength for anything. She undressed without care, leaving her dress in a heap on the floor. She threw her shoes away too, and they landed somewhere in the corner.

She fell into her bed face down, the sheets cold and soothing on her naked skin.

Her phone light up with a notification on her nightstand where she accidentally left it when she went to the party at Martell’s.

She reached for it with a groan.

Golden fool _._

She unlocked her phone, opened the message.

_Goodnight Wench._ It said.

"Goodnight Jaime." She whispered to the screen. She put her phone away and turned around laying on her back against the pillows.

The lights from her uncovered windows cast long shadows on her bare legs, the sirens wailed in the distance combining with the voices of the people roaming the streets.

Brienne closed her eyes.

It was easy to fall asleep.


	5. The Warrior

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you once again for kudos & comments :)

The Lannister mansion was as impressive from up close as it was from afar.

It was bathed in red and yellow lights tonight, it looked even more menacing like this, the shadows emerging dramatically from the two colours. The thick, stone walls were grounded heavily in the white snow but they reached far up into the night sky.

Brienne always thought that the building looked like it was floating over the city. It was visible from whenever you were, like a reminder of some kind. It seemed to be saying _I've got my eyes on you_. And it might just have, too, with all the lion statues appearing suddenly from between the shadows, their unmoving eyes following your every little move.

Brienne wondered if that's how Lannister siblings felt with their father.

It was unsettling.

The music reached her when they passed through the gate. There was a line of footmen on both sides of the path that led to the main entrance.

Sansa elbowed her in the ribs and Brienne looked down at her friend.

"This might be _the_ party of the whole of Sevenmas." She whispered. "How many people did they hire for this?"

Brienne had no idea, but if she had to guess she'd say they _at least_ doubled on the staff their already had in there. Which, she was sure, was already a lot.

"Lady Brienne, lady Sansa." Tyrion's voice reached them from the side, a few steps away from the entrance.

"Lord Tyrion," Brienne said with a smile and Tyrion raised the cup he was already cradling in his hand. They walked toward him.

"You're early," Tyrion said when they finally reached him.

"Brienne doesn't like to be late." Sansa looked at her with one of her _we are way too early_ looks. Brienne scrunched her nose.

"I'd say that's refreshing," Tyrion commented, "especially amongst this crowd."

"You're early yourself," Brienne said looking down at him once again. Tyrion drank from his cup and nodded his head.

"We're the host family, all Lannisters had to be present way ahead of time. The _whole_ family is here." He added. He didn't seem very pleased with that. " _Well_ , apart from Cersei, because she has to and is allowed to make an entrance."

"The whole family?" Sansa asked, "isn't that a bit... excessive?"

Tyrion chuckled.

"Tell that to my father." He drank from his cup again. "Family comes first." He said, his voice changing a bit and his mismatched eyes looked unfocused as he looked at them both.

"I know something about that," Sansa said nodding.

They stood in silence for a while, each of them lost in their thoughts before Tyrion spoke again.

"Jaime is inside." He motioned toward the mansion. "I think he might be going crazy looking for some old keys to the armoury. Would you know something about that?" He asked, looking at Brienne and feigning innocence. He was most definitely not succeeding.

Brienne could feel the treacherous heat warming her face already.

She shrugged in an answer and Tyrion only chuckled while shaking his head.

"Am I missing something?" Sansa asked, confused. She looked up at her and all Brienne could do was to sigh.

"Let's go inside." She said and walked towards the entrance not waiting to look if her friend followed behind.

-

Each time she's been here it was like a first time.

And each time she seemed to get lost in the maze of the corridors and hallways.

She didn't know what it was about the Lannister mansion; she didn't seem to have the same problem with other families' houses. There finding her way was almost like an instinct, here she seemed to lose all sense of direction.

At least she was able to see something different every time. Right now it was the ridiculous amount of portraits that hung up around her.

The stairs in the hall climbed up high on the walls and there was no place left empty, Lannister ancestors lurking at her from all the sides.

"I've always found it creepy." She turned around toward the sound and was greeted with a warm smile and the green eyes of the Lannister heir himself. "We were usually running up those stairs, being quick so those people wouldn't notice us." He continued crooking his head to the side, he stopped just a few steps away from her. "Lady Brienne." Jaime said and a shiver run down her spine like an electric current.

"Lord Lannister."

"I prefer Jaime."

" _I_ prefer Brienne."

"Didn't seem like it last night." He said, smile fading fast from his face.

"I-,“

How was she supposed to explain to him what she herself didn’t understand? Yesterday felt like a bizarre roller coaster and she was afraid that the ride started when she saw him first four days ago. That only meant she was still on it, even right now.

Jaime sighed, glanced away from her for a second before he was facing her once more.

"Yesterday you asked me if it mattered what you thought." He said, his green eyes staring into hers. "No one ever asked me that,” the smile was there and gone quickly and Brienne’s chest squeezed in sudden pain. Jaime looked away again, "they only ever said what they were thinking, expecting me to listen and take their opinions. Even my father." Jaime chuckled. "You know he has that saying, _a lion doesn't concern himself with the opinion of a sheep_. I might not care, but that doesn’t mean the sheep will stop speaking."

Was she one of the sheep, or was she something else? She had to wonder.

He looked up at her and closed the distance between them. He took one of her hands in his. She could feel his scars on her skin and she looked down.

"Do you mind?" He asked and she looked up, their eyes met like magnets.

She shook her head.

"It’s Aerys-" he started softly.

"You don’t have to-"

" _Brienne_."

There it was again. Her name on his lips. Her heart thudded against her chest at the sound and she closed her eyes involuntarily.

"He did this before his death, one of his rats threw just a smidge of wildfire at me after I…," he stopped, swallowed slowly. Brienne opened her eyes, looked at him and squeezed his hand. "I didn’t agree with his politics, didn’t agree with how he treated his family and everyone else who came into closer contact with him. I told him I’ll report him to higher authorities. He didn’t like that."

" _Gods_ ," She whispered.

"Then his rat threw that shit on me, aimed for my face I think, but I swiveled away. It still hit me, just not my face." He continued, angrier this time and Brienne could see it in his eyes, "then he turned his favorite lighter on, said he had more of this thing hidden all over the city. He said he’d do what he wants. I _had to_ do something." He said and looked away.

Brienne felt as if the air was sucked out of the hall, she looked at him and seemed to see him for the first time once again. She never really thought, she didn’t think all of it was _more_ than some politic ploy, some very greedy people wanting more. And here he was telling her this.

When she could breathe again, she opened her mouth to speak.

"And your hand?" She asked softly. He finally looked at her again and smirked, but it was void of all the usual emotions.

"His lighter was still on when I moved and he had good aim."

Brienne flinched, tried not to imagine how that fight went. Tried not to imagine the pain and everything else that followed like an avalanche.

"I beat him bloody, I did," he said, looking straight at her. Maybe he wanted to see how she’d react. But all she could do was watch him and try to figure out who Jaime Lannister really was, "he was alive when they dragged me away from him and took him to the hospital."

She took a deep, shaky breath and felt his thumb moving over the skin of her hand. Her heart trembled.

"Why no one knows anything?" She asked finally, after what felt like forever.

He smiled at her and it was soft and real, not like one of those empty smirks he threw her before.

"Can you imagine the panic if people knew that there could be wildfire under their houses? That shit blows at the smallest spark." He said and then glanced to the side, "and Rhaella didn’t want people to know about…" he sighed and shook his head, "it was not my place to tell and it wouldn’t have changed things much at all."

_But people wouldn’t think such horrible things of you_ , Brienne thought, but she said nothing out loud. It was his decision in the end, and not her place to say anything either.

They stood like that, gods know how long just looking at each other, her hand in his with the Lannister ancestors staring at them from the walls.

It took a bell ringing that echoed through the whole mansion to release them from the state they found themselves in. Jaime blinked a few times, as if he was just realizing where he was. He let go of her hand.

"We should go." He said and Brienne nodded.

-

They didn’t talk to each other.

They walked through the crowds of guests with Brienne holding onto his arm. She felt as if they were closer together now than through all of those other days. She felt like _she_ was moving closer to him. She wasn’t sure if it was because she wanted to comfort him or herself.

With all of the Lannisters around Brienne was really surprised that not many really approached them. If they did, it was for a quick greeting and to _officially_ meet her and by now those conversations went routinely for them both.

It was a good thing, because as the hours passed Brienne felt herself coming back to reality after their earlier conversation.

She did not lessen her hold on his arm however, and he didn’t move away from her either.

Aunt Genna caught with them soon after they moved further away from one group of people and she threw her arms around Brienne without hesitation which make her lose her connection to Jaime.

"Brienne, sweetheart you look astonishing!" The woman said letting her go form the hug but grabbing her by the forearms and looking up at her. "Who's your tailor? I need their number." She asked, but didn't really left Brienne with much space to answer her question. "Jaime was so anxious about today, gods only know why but it was _so sweet_!" She babbled as she glanced at her nephew. She didn't let go of Brienne's forearms yet. "You're so good for him, I'm glad he finally found you! And Tyrion-"

"Aunt Genna, could you please stop?" Jaime interjected but Genna only glanced at him dismissing him with her eyes and looked back at Brienne.

"- _Tyrion_ is so impressed with you!" Aunt Genna continued, "and I think my brother might even like you, which does not happen a lot, I'll have you know. You're a real treasure. If this one is ever gonna let you go I'll smack him over the head myself." The smile she sported was wide and sincere and Brienne's chest warmed at the genuine display of emotions. "I’d love to spend the whole night with you two but your father left me in the charge of the kitchens, which was a good decision on his part as otherwise we would all just get poisoned." She said looking at Jaime. Something in her voice told Brienne that _that_ might have happened already at some point. Jaime's nod only confirmed her suspicions. "Brienne, you’d have to come over to Casterly sometime soon, _then_ we can spend some proper time together." She added and finally let go of Brienne only to put her hand on Jaime’s arm. "I have to go now children, enjoy yourselves."

Jaime leaned down to kiss her on the cheek and then Aunt Genna was gone as quickly as she appeared leaving the cloud of heavy perfume behind her as an only indication of her existence.

"She’s… energetic." Brienne said looking towards the corridor where the woman dissipated a few seconds ago.

"Aunt Genna is something else," Jaime said, "even my father listens to her, as much as he pretends that he doesn't."

"So he poisoned you at some point?" Brienne couldn't help but ask.

"First year our mother died," Jaime said. "We all ended up in the hospital and then aunt Genna decided she was going to move in." He chuckled as if remembering those days. "I think it's because of her that Tyrion and I turned out kind of okay."

"And Cersei?" Brienne didn't know why she asked and she berated herself for it the second the name left her mouth. Jaime didn’t even blink.

"Cersei didn't like her, I don't think she ever liked another woman after our mother's death. I'm not sure if she liked _anyone_ after our mother's death."

_Sounds lonely_ , Brienne thought.

Jaime touched her elbow and she looked at him. A small smile bloomed on his face.

"Would you like to see some ancient swords?" He asked and when she nodded, his smile widened.

She smiled at him too.

-

The armoury was set in the lower part of the mansion and when Jaime closed the doors behind them there was no noise coming from the rest of the building, as if they just got cut from the entire world.

The narrow windows let in the silvers of light from the outside and the one inside was soft and warm.

"Looks better in the daylight," Jaime said, somewhat reluctantly. "Not that there’s much light reaching here. I asked father to move some armours into the main hall but he said he won't show the incomplete sets in the house. They would have looked much better there."

"They look great," Brienne said, moving closer to one of the armours. The craftsmanship was exquisite, the ornaments painstakingly cut in the hard metal and then painted Lannister red.

"You can touch," Jaime said, he moved much closer to her than she expected him to and when she turned her head toward his voice, their faces were inches apart.

"Okay." She whispered, one of her hands clenched by her side when he looked at her lips.

But he didn't really, _right?_

She turned toward the armour again and reached her hand to touch the cold metal.

It held so much history, she could almost feel it under her fingertips. The battles, the fights, the tourneys.

"I always wanted to be a knight," Jaime said, his voice echoing around them, his warmth clouding her mind. "I really thought I could," he continued, "my mother never discouraged those ideas. Maybe she should have, now that I think of it."

Brienne looked at him again, bit her lip. She wasn't sure if she wanted to share so much of herself with him, but they were away from the rest of the world and she felt safe here, with him, between the soft light and the cold armours of old.

"I wanted to be a knight too." She said finally and the corners of his lips trembled with a smile.

"You did?"

"Yes." She said and turned away from those green eyes of his. "Wanted to be a lady knight, like-, like-"

"The Maid of Tarth." Jaime whispered. She glanced at him before nodding her head. Her cheeks heated with embarrassment.

"I loved those stories, I wanted to be like her."

"It would fit you well, I think," Jaime said, and she found no mockery in his voice. "There's this..., there's a blue armour in the Casterly Rock. I have always thought it to be hers."

"Really?" She couldn't contain the excitement in her voice. When she looked at him Jaime was smiling.

"Yes. I would love to show you someday." He said.

Her heart filled with warmth then was replaced by the heaviness as she thought that it would never be. After the Sevenmas was done she wouldn’t see him like this again.

She swallowed and looked away from him.

"I'd like that." She mumbled anyway. What was yet another lie in this web they writhed around each other already. She could pretend some more in this room so far away from reality itself.

Jaime nodded still smiling and moved away from her towards the tall wardrobe. Brienne moved after him while he opened the doors with the set of old keys.

The shelves were full of swords, a soft light from above illuminated them.

"This is what I wanted you to see the most." He said and took one of the blades off the shelf. He turned toward her. "This one's my favourite." He held out the weapon toward her.

It was magnificent.

The gold handle engraved, ending with a lion with rubies as its eyes. The blade was black and shined red when he moved it.

"Take it." He said and her hands lifted up toward it without her permission.

"It's valyrian steel." She whispered and looked up at him when the sword was finally in her hands. She felt a rush of excitement and her awe was reflected in his eyes.

"It is." He confirmed.

"But..., _how_?" She asked, looking back down at the blade. "I thought they're all gone."

Jaime chuckled.

"I know for a fact that a few other families have one of their own in their vaults."

"What?! Are you joking?" Brienne said looking at him once again. "Why wouldn't they put them in the museums so that people can see? It's history! It's our country’s legacy!"

"They do not think like you do, they don't care. Ask the Starks why they hide theirs."

"The Starks? They don't have valyrian steel." She said. She would have known if they had right? She knew their house as well as she knew her own. How would they even hide this from her?

"I wouldn't be so sure." Jaime said as he took the sword from her hands. He put it down carefully on the shelf where it belonged and turned towards her again.

She couldn't quite believe that the Starks would hide something so valuable and important from the world with the way they always talked about what's right but his eyes told her the other story and today, after all he said to her she was inclined to believe this too.

She felt his fingers on the back of her forearm and looked down. His hand slid down caressing her skin softly before it reached her palm.

Jaime took her hand into his and pulled it upwards toward his face. Her eyes followed the journey with anxious anticipation. Her heart skipped in her chest and she could hear its beat in her ears. He looked right into her eyes when he put a light kiss on the underside of her wrist, just where her pulse was running wildly underneath her skin.

She felt the warmth of him, of his breath caressing her while his green eyes looked and looked and looked into hers.

The tremors rushed from the place his lips met her skin towards her chest where it met the scorching heat boiling there and then combined they rushed towards the rest of her, and down, down melting into her core.

Brienne swallowed slowly, couldn't take her eyes off him.

She wanted to ask _why would you do that?!_ But she couldn't seem to find her voice and the words themselves danced just shy away from her reach.

The time stretched and she had no idea how long they stood there, unmoving, his warm lips on her skin, before the doors opened with a loud thud and they jumped away from each other quickly, like a lightning current, just in time before Tyrion walked in.

Jaime’s brother stood in the doorway for a few seconds looking at them with his mismatched, knowing eyes. She could _see_ him trying to hide his smile. Her heart didn't stop its fast pace.

"You better go up if you don't want to miss the fight." He said, clearly amused with them both.

She looked at Jaime, but Jaime didn't move so she walked away from him and passed Tyrion in the doors.

"Thank you for letting us know." She said, her voice seemed breathy to her own ears.

_Ridiculous_.

She didn't hear what Jaime said to Tyrion when she walked up the stairs but the sharp tone of his voice reached her all the same.

She took a deep breath and willed herself to go and not think about what happened at all.

Or at least, to not think about it for a little while.

-

The sword fight was exhilarating.

Brienne moved closer with every clang of the metal. The performers moved with precision and grace and she couldn't stop herself from imagining being in their places.

Sansa, which Brienne found when she got back to the main hall, seemed bored by her side and she slipped away at the first occasion. Jaime moved in her place soon enough.

"It looks like a dance doesn't it." He said, leaning into her space. Brienne nodded, not sure of her own voice. "In that case," he drawled, "we should both be excellent at this."

She turned her head around, the question almost out of her mouth but then their noses almost bumped and her breath got stuck in her throat. She glanced briefly at his lips before her gaze moved up his face toward his eyes. There was a smile playing in them. She stepped a little to the side, put some distance between their bodies.

Jaime straightened and turned back to watch the show.

Brienne took a deep breath and followed his lead trying not to glance at him every other minute.

How was she not supposed to think when he was doing _this_ , whatever it actually was that he was doing. Because she had _no idea_.

They left her base concept of what fake dating was a very long time ago and now she was just trying to keep up with him.

_Lannisters,_ she thought glancing at him once again.

The rest of her evening was a bit different than before. Jaime stayed by her side and they didn’t talk much but there was a quiet easiness between them now. Even with her being more aware of his presence than before.

She didn’t touch him either, nor did he reached for her but the mere look was enough to spark the annoying heat now permanently residing in her chest.

She cursed her pale complexion because she could feel herself blushing all the while.

All of her friends seemed to have to disappeared, even Tyrion, and so she feigned tiredness much quicker than she thought she would.

Lannister insisted on waiting with her for her car and when the car came, he opened the back doors for her. She couldn't help herself from throwing him an annoyed glance.

He only smirked, of course.

She squinted her eyes at him, got into the car and closed the door hard behind herself undoubtedly pulling it out from his grip.

She scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

Her phone buzzed.

She unlocked it and looked at the message.

_Goodnight Brienne_. It said.

_Fucking Lannisters_ , Brienne thought. She locked her phone and put it into the pocket of her coat.

She didn't look through the window when the car pulled away.

She didn't.


	6. The Smith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, thank you for the continued kudos and comments, they all make my day!

This was definitely her favourite dress.

The bodice was steel and formed like an armour across her chest, material fell down to the ground thick and warm. It was heavy, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

Sansa seemed to have chosen similar aesthetic to what Loras chose for her. When they reached Baratheon's estate Brienne noticed that it seemed to be a trend of sort.

She liked that a lot, women clad in cloth and steel, looking like a weird versions of knights.

And then there were men, in classic tuxes, black and white with metal additions, be it cuffs or brooches or anything else that fit the today. The Smith's day, Baratheon's day.

Then there was Jaime Lannister.

With his form-fitted tuxedo and a yellow shirt peeking from underneath his camisole. He had lions on his cuff, just like on the buttons of his shirt and his jacket.

When he caught her gaze and smiled, she knew he was waiting for her and she didn't... she _wasn't_ sure how was she supposed to feel about that.

They were _fake dating_ each other, for seven's sake, and she bore his soft touches outside amongst the other people. He seemed like a tactile person, and she thought it played well with their facade but what happened yesterday in the armoury she still could not understand.

They were alone there, closed off from everyone else and he touched her and kissed her wrist and he _couldn't have_ possibly meant anything by it.

She _was not_ -; she wasn't, and he...

Brienne sighed loudly.

She couldn't sleep last night, thoughts rattling in her head. Why did _he_ do this? Why did _she_ feel this way? Maybe they were becoming friends, but with this fake relationship in the way, it all became muddled and unclear.

Brienne didn't like unclear, but it seemed most things about him were.

Then there was the Aerys confession, the way he so casually dismissed what he did, as if that didn't define his world afterward. As if that didn't change him too. 

Now he was standing there, looking at her like..., _like..._

"I like your dress," he said when she and Sansa finally reached him, a sentence he seemed to reuse every evening now, "it fits you well."

He moved closer, leaned in. Brienne froze and stopped breathing when he kissed her cheek. Her heat clenching in her chest. "The steal should be blue." He whispered in her ear and she glanced to the side to look into his eyes when he moved away.

They were so close, _too close_ for far too long before he moved away and greeted Sansa with a kiss to her gloved hand.

"Shall we, ladies?" He asked and reached with his arm toward her.

It was an instinct by that point, when he did that, there was nothing else for her to do but slid her hand between the crook of his arm and move closer to him.

She had to remind herself to breathe.

She didn't know what was going on with her.

-

Jaime left her in the search of his brother and Sansa excused herself to go look for Arya.

Brienne was glad for the excuse to wander around the hall alone.

Baratheon's mansion looked like it turned into a smithy, all the decorations she remembered from when she was there the last time seemed to be gone, the lighting was dull and there were men forging metal in a few alcoves. Stannis Baratheon wasn't known for entertaining prowess but he did quite well, Brienne had to admit, the mood of the place definitely changed and fitted with the Smith's day rather perfectly.

She knew Renly was disappointed when the care of the Baratheon's house name slipped under his older brother, after Robert's death, but she wasn't sure it Renly was ready to be the head of the house just yet.

Brienne walked amongst the armours that were on display by one of the walls, stopping by some of them, wondering if she could tell if they were new or just really well restored.

She scrunched her eyes and leaned closer toward one of it.

"So, you're my brother's new plaything." Cersei's voice sneaked upon her like a snake, graceful and deadly.

"Girlfriend." Brienne said, trying to steel herself before turning around. She straightened her back, took a deep breath and faced Jaime's sister.

Cersei Lannister chuckled.

" _Girlfriend_." She said and cocked her head to one side as if that was not a real word at all. One of her arms was crossed over her chest while the other held a goblet near her chin. It was golden, like all of her.

Cersei walked closer towards her and stopped just a whisper away. Brienne was much taller than her and Cersei had to look up, but that seemed to do nothing to diminish her sense of control over the conversation.

"My brother does not, nor will he ever have a _girlfriend._ " She said and looked her up and down with a small cruel smile on her beautiful face. "And I know for a fact that you're not really even his plaything either. You cannot lie, Brienne of Tarth, amongst all the other things that you can't and that you are not. I don't know how my father got fooled by this inferior act."

"He told you," Brienne said. She didn't know why she felt disappointed by that idea. She could remember herself begging Jaime in her mind to tell his sister the truth. How different was now from then?

"Jaime doesn't have to tell me anything," Cersei interrupted her musings, "I _know_ him, I understand him, I can see right through him. There's nothing he can hide from me."

"Will you-," Brienne found herself saying. 

"Tell?" Cersei interjected and then laughed. "Why would I? I don't care. You'll soon be out of Jaime's life anyway." She took a drink from the goblet, licked her lips. "Don't make a sad face, it makes you look much uglier than you already do. How he could have borne looking at you for so long, I'll have to ask him when this whole farce is over and done with."

The splinter Brienne still had in her chest, after such a long time of being ridiculed by everyone, seemed to have been pushed further inside. The pain shot to her throat, and she tried to swallow it down. She took another breath.

"Jaime might-," she started, but Cersei stopped her with a raised cup.

"He is not your friend, he never was. He was pretending, he very good at that." She said, "or did you-, _oh..."_ She whispered, her lips puckering. She moved half a step back and looked right into Brienne's eyes. Snicker rumbled out deep from her chest. "You’re in love with him already, aren’t you?" Cersei said, and the words cut the air between them with a sound so sharp it rang in Brienne's ears louder than the metal forged by the blacksmiths. 

"I-"

Her heart jumped in her chest and it ran, her hands shook by her sides.

"Oh, don't bother," Cersei interjected once again, "I do not _care_. He is not yours and he will never be. You are nothing."

With that, she walked away leaving Brienne alone in the crowd of people.

She took a deep breath and looked around the crowd for a familiar face, any familiar face.

Cersei was _crazy_ thinking that she-, _no_. She didn't. She would _never_.

It was _ridiculous_.

Brienne didn't care either, what his sister thought she _saw._ There was nothing. They were nothing, not even friends really. He was pretending, and she was too.

They were nothing. _She_ was nothing.

_Shit._

She spotted Catelyn Stark and moved towards her quickly. She needed a distraction, needed away from her thoughts and away from Lannisters.

_One more day_ , Brienne thought.

One more day.

-

The conversation was lively and Brienne forced a smile from time to time at the ridiculous jokes slipping through Davos' lips. Stannis, who stood with them, only rolled his eyes but Brienne could see the hidden amusement under his stoic face.

It was nice, listening to their talk, hearing Catelyn laugh again for what felt like the first time since Ned died. Even if she needed some wine to help her with it.

Brienne enjoyed their presence but she felt separate from it, as if she was in a bubble. She smiled, but it didn't feel real.

Not that much else did this holiday.

The heat moved down her neck and back suddenly and Brienne narrowed her eyebrows a little in confusion before she turned around slowly, absurdly checking if something was amiss.

She met Jaime's eyes across the room; he smirked at her and gave her a little nod.

The world seemed to narrow to just the two of them in a split second. The warmth spread from her chest toward the rest of her. His green gaze was soothing and infuriating all at once. One of his eyebrows rose up as he nudged his head to the side motioning softly to the people in his circle. He rolled his eyes and Brienne tried for a smile.

She was not very convincing, it seemed, as the smile faltered from Jaime's face and he narrowed his eyebrows at her.

Brienne turned around, trying to shake the weird feeling that still floated through her.

_You are nothing_ , Cersei's voice echoed in her head.

She bit the inside of her cheek and tried to focus on some story Catelyn was recounting to the people around them.

-

"Is it Cersei?"

Sansa's voice reached her first before her friend appeared next to her.

Brienne was leaning on the stone arch, one of many surrounding the atrium. The snow was falling lazily from the dark sky and Brienne followed its path with her eyes.

"Cersei?" She asked.

"The reason you're out here alone," Sansa said and bumped her arm with her shoulder. "I saw her talking with you and I know that can't mean anything good."

Brienne sighed, she didn’t turn around toward her friend.

"You know that whatever she said isn’t true right? Cersei is like a snake, she’s gonna say whatever she thinks will help her get what she wants." Sansa said.

Brienne wasn't sure what Cersei could possibly get by telling her all that she did.

"She thinks I’m in love with him," Brienne whispered, the words like gravel in her throat.

"Oh."

" _Oh?_ " Brienne looked down at her friend.

Sansa looked up at her, she was fidgeting on her feet. She shrugged.

"I mean-, with the way the two of you have been behaving these past five days, I think many people think that."

Brienne shook her head.

"She _knows_ we’re not together. She didn’t say _we_." Brienne stopped, turned her head away from Sansa. "She said _you_.”

Sansa fell silent and Brienne ground her teeth. She crossed her arms over her chest.

The quiet stretched, it felt as if the time slowed down and the snowflakes drifted down, unhurried. Brienne took a deep breath in.

Sansa touched her arm and Brienne looked down at her.

"Are you?" She asked quietly.

_Am I?_

_No_ , of course she wasn’t. She wasn’t.

"Of course not." Brienne said. Sansa looked at her for a long time and Brienne sighed, annoyed. "I may like him, but not _like that_. We barely even know each other, anyway."

"Why are you upset then?"

She was not upset, she was angry.

With herself, for agreeing to drag this thing on. With Lannister for propelling her into it. With her friends for encouraging her and with everyone else for not seeing through their lie.

If they did, she wouldn’t be standing here right now with her emotions all over the place because one person said one thing that wasn’t even true.

What was wrong with her?

She looked away from her friend.

"It’s okay," Brienne said taking a deep breath, "there’s only one more day left and after that, I don’t have to deal with Lannisters ever again."

Sansa said nothing, and so they stood in silence for a few seconds until Brienne heard someone walking toward them from behind.

"Ladies."

They both turned around, Jaime smiled at them tightly. Brienne’s heart skipped in her chest and she grimaced at it. 

"The feast will start soon, I’ve come to fetch you both." He said.

"Thank you," Sansa said.

Brienne didn’t trust her voice, and she only nodded her head. Jaime glanced at her for a second. Sansa slid her hand over her arm and Lannister followed the move with his eyes.

He turned around and walked toward the hall; they followed.

-

They were sitting in a dimmed lounge on the comfortable leather furniture. Brienne on the sofa, with Sansa in the middle and Jon next to her. Right in front of them, on the other side of the old coffee table, on the other sofa was Tyrion, Tyrion’s friend Bronn and Margaery Tyrell. Jaime and Daenerys Targaryen occupied the two armchairs in between.

"King’s Landing is a great city," Daenerys said, continuing the conversation that they were having, "it needs some changes, sure, but there’s so much more potential here than in any other city in Westeros."

"You’re kidding, right?" Jon said from Sansa’s side, leaning to the side. "Winterfell has the most potential of all."

Tyrion chuckled into the glass of whiskey he was drinking from.

"If you want to freeze your balls off, sure." He said.

Daenerys giggled softly and Jon sent Tyrion a nasty look.

"Winter is almost over," Jon said.

"Isn’t that the exact opposite of your house words?" Tyrion said with his eyebrow raised and Brienne couldn’t shake the thought of how much like his father he looked.

Jon huffed through his nose and crossed his arms over his chest. Brienne noticed Jaime smirking at that.

"I think you should consider Highgarden," Margaery Tyrell threw in, "the weather is agreeable most of the year and we’re the main source of crops in the country." She said. Tyrion and Daenerys nodded their heads. "And let’s not forget our roses," Margery said looking right at Sansa, "everyone _loves_ roses."

Brienne looked at her friend who seemed to be locked in by Margaery Tyrell’s gaze. She smiled to herself.

"Talking about great cities, lady Brienne," Tyrion said and Brienne turned toward him abruptly, "I’ve heard you’re going to be visiting Lannisport soon."

Her eyebrows rose and her eyes widened. Tyrion chuckled softly in front of her.

"Aunt Genna told me she invited you over to Casterly," he said with a smile and then glanced at his brother, "and I think Jaime might have extended an invitation too."

Brienne looked briefly to the side and opened her mouth not really sure what to say to him. Was she _really_ invited? She didn't think so. This whole fake relationship was making everything so much more unclear than it should have been.

"Ah-, _I_ -," She started.

"I don’t think lady Brienne would be visiting anytime soon," Jaime said from the armchair. Brienne turned toward him. He didn’t look at her at all, eyes locked on his brother. His body was stiff, however, and she could see the strong grip he had on the glass he was holding in his hand.

"Dear brother, why would you say that?" Tyrion said, "shouldn’t you let your _girlfriend_ decide by herself?"

Jaime drank from his glass and he glanced at her so quickly that she was sure no one else noticed. But she did, with her heartbeat pulsing through all of her body, with her blood rushing through her veins.

His eyes were forest green, like his sister’s and Brienne wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what he had to say.

"I’m sure after tomorrow’s celebrations are over _lady_ Brienne wouldn’t want to deal with Lannisters ever again," Jaime said finally.

The silence fell over their group and Brienne’s heart ran wild in her chest. Her own words echoed back at her. They felt so much harder and so much harsher coming from him. They were like a sword pushed into her chest, slowly, to prolong the pain.

She couldn’t breathe.

She turned away from him, looked down at her hands.

"Excuse me," Jaime said, and she could feel him stand up from the armchair, could feel him walking away.

She looked up and her eyes met Tyrion’s.

She wasn’t sure what she saw there, but it was exactly what she felt inside of her chest.

-

She was pacing in her kitchen, still wearing her armoured dress.

"Could you please stop this?" Sansa said looking at her from the kitchen counter by which she was sitting, drinking a glass of water. " _Brienne_."

Brienne stopped and looked at her friend.

"He’s heard what I said," she walked closer toward Sansa, "but I didn’t mean it like that!"

"Like what?" Sansa asked.

Brienne huffed and looked to the side.

"I don’t know!" She said, winding her arms around herself. "I didn’t mean _him_ , I didn’t mean Tyrion." She sighed and looked at Sansa again, her chest wound up as if in a painful grip, "I just-, they’re just _too_ much sometimes, you know. His father barged into my life, talked with my father for gods know what reason, then his sister decided to say what she thought of me and what she apparently _knows_ Jaime thinks of me." Brienne bit her lip, tears welled in her eyes with vengeance. "And now he thinks what? That I hate him? That I hate his family?" Brienne continued, her voice shaking. "He didn’t even let me explain, he just disappeared!"

"Brienne." Sansa was next to her, she took her into a hug and Brienne fell into it. "He is-"

"No." Brienne interrupted quickly. Whatever her friend wanted to say, it was not it. "It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have said that, I shouldn’t-"

"Brienne, it’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong."

But she did, didn’t she. The pain that radiated from her chest only confirmed it to her. She made him think she didn’t want to see him ever again and that wasn’t true. She _wanted to_ , she wanted to meet with him, she wanted to talk with him. She wanted to be with him.

A breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened. Sansa moved away and looked up at her.

"Brienne?"

Cersei was right, wasn’t she? Cersei was right. She was in love with him. She was _in love_ with him for seven’s sakes.

" _Gods_." She whispered and she felt tears falling down her cheeks.

"Brienne?"

"Cersei was right," Brienne said looking at her friend, she wiped away her tears, "she was right, I’m in love with him."

The words sounded even more ridiculous when she said them out loud because how was this possible? She only knew him for six days and she was already in love with him? _How?_ It happened to her once before, with Renly but she was a child back then, she didn’t know what love really was. But now?

She walked to the countertop and grabbed her phone. She found his number in her contacts and dialed.

She needed to talk with him, she needed to explain what she meant no matter what he thought, no matter if he really pretended with everything or not. What she heard in his voice, with her own words repeated back at her from his lips was real and it was hurt. He couldn't have faked that, right?

No matter what he thought of her, what she was to him in his mind, be it a mere acquaintance the words hurt him. 

She knew that he didn’t feel what she felt for him but she couldn’t live with him hating her for this. She couldn’t live with him thinking she didn’t want to see him again.

Not after everything that happened, not after everything he said to her.

She looked at Sansa with her phone to her ear. The signal went dead after some time. She dialed again, waited but the same thing happened again.

She pulled the phone away from her face and opened the message.

_Jaime, please, pick up._ She wrote and hit send.

She dialed again after a few seconds and this time there was no signal at all.

_The number you're calling is unavailable, please try again later._

She pulled the phone away from her ear and put it down on the counter. She walked into her living room and sat on the sofa. Sansa followed.

Brienne leaned into the cushions and closed her eyes.

She tried to breathe again.


	7. The Stranger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last one, here we go.

The contrast that Brienne felt, between the lightness of the dress that Loras made and how heavy her chest weighed down on her was almost absurd.

The material grazed the floor, and it flowed around her legs, almost hovering as if gravity didn’t work on it. It was blue, a blue to end all the blue dresses he made thus far. The blue of waters around Tarth.

The sleeves were cut through from her shoulders down her arm and they fell easily moving as softly as the rest of the dress did. There was no slit on the skirt but the whole of her back was bare once again.

Not that it made any difference to Brienne, her thoughts occupied by different things.

She didn't sleep well, dreamed about dark caves and red fires. She dreamed about eyes that changed colours, green eyes. Forest green, meadow green.

Sansa did her make-up, put forget-me-nots in her hair. She didn't object; she didn't care.

Jaime wasn't answering his phone, he didn't write her back.

She knew she would see him at her party but it still felt too far away into the future, even now, with her already dressed up, waiting for Sansa so they could go to the Targaryen party.

It was the Stranger's day, the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one but for Brienne those six days felt almost like a year unto itself, and so it felt like two endings intertwining into one.

It felt like the end, even more so than any other before did.

Starting this holiday season she didn't think anything like this would happen to her and yet here she was with Cersei Lannister's voice still echoing in her head and Jaime's dead phone line weighing in her thoughts.

She sighed loudly and shook her head.

After Renly she thought that it was it. She understood what she was even before, but Renly taught her she could get over people and that she didn't need them anyway. She didn't need complicated emotions, mingled thoughts of uncertainty. She decided how she’d be. She was _safe_.

Then came Jaime Lannister or, in truth, she dragged him into her own life.

He was something else; she didn't understand what exactly. But he wasn't safe, he wasn't uncomplicated. He wasn't what she hoped for in her life.

And now she was in love with him, which sounded completely ridiculous but it also made sense. Everything she felt those past six days got stacked neatly under the label, not that it really helped her that much but at least she _knew_ why.

It was yet another thing for her to overcome but first, she needed to explain to him what he heard was not what she meant, not _how_ she meant it.

"Brienne," Sansa said, standing in front of her in the beautiful grey dress embodied with little direwolves and stars, "I'm ready. We can go if you are."

She wasn't sure if she'd ever be, but she straightened her spine and nodded her head once.

They walked out of her apartment for the last time that year.

-

The towers of the Targaryen mansion reached high up to the starlit sky. Its walls were white and steep, the windows narrow. There were engravings on the stone, dragons flying around, chasing the hordes of heroes. It was one of the most intricately carved buildings in town, the artisanship on full display. It made people envious and anxious all at once.

Tonight it almost glowed in the dark, lit up with red lights from below, standing white on the snow as if they were one.

Daenerys Targaryen welcomed them by the doors herself with a smile so wide and genuine that Brienne wouldn't ever suspect her to be pretending.

It's been her first time in the mansion since Aerys died, which was a good few years ago. The inside changed with its owner it seemed, it felt warmer than Brienne remembered it being, and less imposing. She felt weirdly at ease when she walked further in and was faced with people already mingling around, reclining on the red and black sofas.

Dragons seemed to be the theme, huge paper sculptures floated over their heads. Brienne wondered if it was for the occasion of if they were a permanent fixture in the space.

The band was playing an old valyrian song, which Brienne recognized from her time at university.

Overall it felt cosy and intimate, not something she thought she'd be able to say about a party with over five hundred guests - if not more, because Brienne could see faces she did not recognize from Westerosi high society.

It was all almost enough to make her forget about the heavy weight in her chest, almost enough to chase away the image of Jaime's dark green eyes.

 _Almost_.

Sansa must have sensed her change in mood because she squeezed her arm softly between her hands. Brienne looked down at her friend and smiled hoping to reassure her.

"You just have to talk to him," Sansa whispered, "I'm sure all isn't lost just yet."

Brienne hoped she was right.

Sansa led her to one of the bars and they both got a drink called _dragon's kiss_. It was red and on the bottom there was something that looked like black sand. Sansa drank from her glass and her eyes widened.

"That's strong." She said and immediately went for another sip.

"As it should," the bartender said to them with a smile, "it should reborn you, as fire does."

Brienne's eyebrows raised up but Sansa only smiled at the man and dragged her away from the bar.

When Brienne noticed where they were heading it was already too late.

Tyrion sat on a big corner sofa drinking one of his own read drinks.

"Ladies." He said when he noticed them walking closer. She looked at Brienne, his eyes unreadable but Brienne couldn't shake the uneasiness it made her feel.

They sat next to him.

"You're drinking this thing too?" Sansa asked and Tyrion's eyes finally left her and moved toward her friend.

"Hard to tell really. I think all the drinks for today are either red or black." He said, a small amused smirk playing in the corner of his lips.

It was so much like Jaime's.

Damn. _Damn_.

Was he even here yet?

Sansa and Tyrion fell into the conversation about coloured drinks and Brienne tried to scan the crowd for familiar faces.

She saw Jon, Theon, and Robb talking with Tyrells. Arya stood near the wall with Ellaria Sand. Catelyn reclined on one of the sofas deep in the conversation with Petyr Baelish.

Cersei Lannister was grimacing at Oberyn Martell with a glass of red drink in her hand. Brienne made herself look away and then her heart almost stopped when she saw her father talking with Tyrion Lannister, both partially hidden in one of the alcoves around the hall.

There was no Jaime.

"He's here." Tyrion's voice made her turn her head abruptly and Brienne noticed just now that Sansa wasn't with them anymore. "My brother," Tyrion added as it to clarify, as if that really needed any clarification, "that's who you've been searching for, is it not?"

Brienne looked him in the eyes and nodded. She bit the inside of her cheek.

"Yesterday was the first time I saw him so upset in years," he said, searching her face with his mismatched eyes.

"I-,"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me," Tyrion said, "our family is not very pleasant, to use mild terms. I understand your reluctance toward us." He took a deep breath before continuing, "however I was under the impression that you've enjoyed mine and my brother's company. Mayhaps I was mistaken."

He drank from his glass and Brienne took a chance to speak, hoping he wouldn't interrupt her.

"I enjoy your company, I do." She said, "Jaime overheard something and misunderstood. I _didn't_ mean him, didn't mean you either, It was-"

She closed her eyes for a second; she didn't want to recollect her conversation with their sister, her voice was like venom and it still floated through her brain.

"So it was Cersei," Tyrion said, voice changing the tone to understanding. Brienne looked at him and she _knew_ he knew, he didn't need her confirmation. "What did she say?"

Brienne sighed and shook her head, looked away from his knowing eyes. She would not tell him, she couldn't.

"Some stuff about me," she said finally, a compromise of sorts, "some stuff about Jaime. She said he was pretending and _I know_ that," she looked at Tyrion, "I'm sure you know it too, this is a fake relationship, it is not real and we _both_ pretended but I thought..., I thought-, I _like_ him and for some unfathomable reason I'd like for him to be my friend when all of this ends, but Cersei said-," Brienne sighed and turned her eyes away from him once more, "she was so _sure,_ why would she ever-"

Tyrion chuckled darkly and Brienne turned toward him, their eyes meeting.

"Why would she lie?" Tyrion asked, "Cersei likes control and you've threatened that control when you slipped unexpectedly into Jaime’s life. She saw him walking further and further away from her, even if he was far away from her to begin with. Your presence solidified his decision to cut himself from her, it made it more real." He took a drink from his glass and shook his head, "you took her brother away from her and that could not do."

"I didn't-,"

"Brienne, I know. It doesn't matter to her. She could barely stand me having any relationship with him. I don't know what she said to you, but believe me, she would say absolutely anything to get what she wants."

Brienne sighed and with another breath she could feel the weight being chipped away just a little from her chest.

"He cares about you," Tyrion said quietly, "and it's been a long time since he cared about anyone else but the family."

Brienne nodded her head, straightened her spine.

"I need to find him." She said with renowned determination.

"I'll tell you where to look."

-

Tyrion directed her to the library down the corridor next to the main hall. He assured her he'd excuse her wandering about the house to Daenerys. He smiled at her and she felt the heaviness that resided in her chest ease even more.

Jaime was sitting by the desk right in front of the window flipping through some old book; he did not hear her coming in. She cleared her throat softly not sure of what she should say.

When he turned around there was a slight surprise in his eyes, but it was quickly washed away by his neutral, charming expression. His _fake_ mask, the one he put around the crowds.

Brienne's heart sank at the sight.

"Lady Brienne." He said, the tone of his voice casual, as if yesterday never happened. As if he wasn't ignoring her phone calls and messages. As if nothing was wrong.

Brienne stood, frozen in her spot and he stood up, walked closer toward her.

The myriad of words danced in her head, sentences she should have been saying right now, the most important of them _I'm sorry_ but it was not what slipped through her lips in the end.

"Is that it?" She asked, her voice strange, harsh to her own ears.

Jaime faltered in his step, stopped further away from her than he probably intended.

"Was there to be something more?" He asked.

She could see the anger building behind his green eyes and she didn't know why but she wanted it out. She wanted him to be angry at her as he had a right to be. She didn't want the fake persona; she wanted real Jaime.

So she pushed.

"Isn't there anything else you wanted to say to me, after yesterday?" She said.

Jaime took a step forward, head held high.

She stood her ground.

"What is the point?" He asked, his voice rising, "today is the last day, we won't see each other again _lady Brienne_ , all we need is a few more hours and we will be done." He finished but she could feel there was more he wanted to say so she waited. The silence stretched uncomfortably before he spoke again. "Isn't that exactly what you wanted? You will be free of Lannisters at last."

"You are unbelievable." She sighed, exasperated.

Jaime's eyebrows shot up and the anger was now lightning his green eyes like a fire.

"I'm unbelievable?! What about you?!" He said as he stepped closer toward her. "I thought we might be friends but then you're talking with Sansa Stark about how after today you'll finally be rid of me?"

"I'm sorry!"

"As you should be!"

"I'm sorry that you overheard," Brienne said and Jaime closed his mouth just to open them again, but she was quicker than him. "You overheard, I didn't mean you! I could never mean you. It was Cersei-"

" _Cersei?!_ "

"She cornered me yesterday, said some things, and I was just..."

He took her hand into his own and it felt like a fire scorching on her skin. It was hell and heaven. And she loved him, she _loved_ him. She knew he did not feel the same, but it was enough if she could just get his friendship instead.

"Cersei lies." Jaime said.

Brienne couldn't look at him.

"She was right about some things but not all," she said.

" _Brienne._ " He whispered, and the voice dragged her eyes toward his once more. Her name on his lips, _her name on his lips_.

She shook her head.

"I know this was all fake, but I think we've been building some friendship between those lies too, didn't we? I'd like to be your friend, I didn't mean it like you thought I did."

"And your face?" He asked, softer.

"My face?"

"The face that you made at the sight of me yesterday, as if I disgusted you, as if I..." The words faltered and this time it was him who looked away from her.

 _What face?_ She tried to remember and when she did she sighed. Jaime turned back to look at her. The skip of her heart when she saw him in the atrium, she must have grimaced and he thought that… _gods…_

"You don’t disgust me Jaime, far from it." She said, regretted her words immediately, hoped that he wouldn’t read too much into it. That he wouldn’t read what she actually meant.

_I love you, I love you, I love you._

He squeezed her hand and looked into her eyes.

"I believe you."

She squeezed his hand back, swallowed the dryness in her throat.

"Friends?"

She asked, he smirked.

"Friends."

-

They were walking amongst the crowd, his hand on her naked back once more.

Brienne cursed and blessed Loras in her mind because it was sweet torture.

She knew now the heat radiating from his fingertips toward her chest. She knew why it spread through the rest of her. She knew why it culminated down, down below her navel.

She knew now. She knew it was not for her.

She got him back as a friend and that was more than enough.

He grabbed them another set of red drinks from the passing waiter and gave one to Brienne; they stopped near the wall and she leaned on it trying to let her senses rest from him for a bit. The stone felt overly cold on her naked back.

"You should have called," Jaime said.

Brienne scrunched her eyebrows at him, took a drink from her glass. It was sweet and tangy on her tongue.

"I called," she said, "I've sent you a dozen messages."

"You did?"

Jaime’s eyebrows rose in surprise and Brienne nodded.

"You never call," he said, "you don't even answer my texts."

Brienne shrugged, looked away from him and into the crowd. She never knew what to say, she never knew what she wanted to say, she was afraid to say the wrong thing.

Not yesterday, but now it didn’t matter.

"I wanted to talk to you." She said into the crowd. "You didn't let me explain."

"I was angry."

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

She turned back to him and smiled. He smiled back, and the last of the weight in her chest fallen off on the floor between their feet.

The silence fell between them but they haven’t looked away from each other. She was sure she was supposed to feel awkward or weird about such prolonged eye contact, she always had before.

She didn’t now. It was easy, and she felt calmer somehow, looking into his green eyes.

"I love your dress!" Margaery Tyrell exclaimed appearing suddenly next to them and Brienne jumped up in surprise. She thought she heard Jaime grunt low in his throat but he turned to Margery with a smile on his face. "It's so blue! Isn't it Tarth blue?" Margery continued without a blink, "I think I remember Loras saying something along those lines."

Brienne smiled politely, but the heat rose in her cheeks. Jaime moved closer to her and touched her elbow. She glanced at him before turning to Margery.

She nodded.

"That's what he said to me too, yes." She said.

"It's almost the exact colour of your eyes." Margery said, "does it mean the waters around Tarth are alike too?" She asked and then sighed almost theatrically. "That would be so romantic!"

Brienne opened her mouth, probably looked completely stupid doing so.

"I-, I-," she mumbled, speechless.

"I don't think they are," Jaime said next to her. When Brienne turned toward him he was looking right at her, their eyes locking again once more. "I don't think there's anything this blue."

Breath got stuck in her chest, her heart ran wild, heartbeat loud in her ears.

She was glad he was her friend, but she would have to talk to him about saying stuff like this if she was to ever get over him.

Because now the only thing her mind seemed to be able to say was, _you're in love with him_ , on repeat, like a broken record.

She turned away from him and looked at Margery who smiled at her sweetly.

Brienne took a sip of her drink and tried to calm down her heart.

-

She was pretty sure Oberyn Martell was coming onto her and she only knew this because his innuendos weren't subtle at all.

She wasn’t even sure they could have been called _innuendos_.

She was glad for Jaime's presence and she was glad about the pretense of their relationship because it was much easier to decline Martell's proposals when she had a _boyfriend_ by her side.

"Fucking Martell," Jaime mumbled under his breath when he and his _paramour_ Ellaria left them to seek some other crowds.

"He was nice," Brienne said. Because apart from the continued proposals the conversation was pleasant, and Martell was a really charming man.

"He was being _Martell_ ," Jaime said, his voice annoyed as he slid his hand around her waist. Brienne shivered. "He wanted to get you into their bed."

She chuckled, shook her head as they moved through the crowd.

"I don't think he was serious about that."

"Oh, believe me, he _was_."

Jaime drew her closer to him and Brienne could think of nothing else apart from that.

They moved through the crowd again, her hand in the crook of his arm once more.

She gave herself one more night. One more night and then, without the fake relationship, they could just be friends and she would put much more space between them.

_So much more space._

But not for tonight. 

Not just yet.

-

They were sitting in one of the alcoves, the laughter booming on the stone walls. There were only two sofas but all of them seemed to fit right in.

Brienne with Jaime next to her, Sansa on her other side and Margery squeezed between her friend and the armrest. Tyrion sat on the opposite side with Daenerys, Jon, and Robb. Theon leaned over them, sitting on the small backrest. Arya was on the ground, legs pulled forward, leaning on the sofa’s side. Bronn sat next to her playing with his gold lighter.

Brienne felt a little drunk. Little bit on the alcohol but on the other things too. On the people around her, on their easy happiness.

On Jaime leaning so close to her.

They were having fun; _she_ was having so much fun. She couldn't remember the last party where she felt as good as this.

Tyrion was telling one of his lewd stories when she felt Jaime poking her in her ribs. She turned toward him.

"I like your dress." He whispered, leaning even closer to her, his breath warm in her ear. It was a sentence he repeated almost every night and it felt weirdly familiar by this point. It was surprising that it somehow still didn't lose on its weight, no matter if he really meant it or not.

Brienne chuckled and shook her head.

Jaime moved his head back to look at her face and scrunched his eyebrows.

He stood up suddenly and took her by the hand dragging her away from the alcove. Their friends didn't seem to notice. Or maybe it was her who didn't notice with Jaime's fingers so casually intertwined with hers.

Jaime led them into some corridor, a few guests passed by them but it was much less crowded around here. Much more quiet.

"You don't believe me?" Was the first thing he asked her when they were as far away from other people as they could.

Brienne shrugged.

"I believe you like the dresses." She said.

It was nothing weird; she liked them too. They were really nice.

"I like them _on you_." He said.

 _Oh_.

Her heart jumped in her chest, pulse running wild in her veins.

Tere he went with his nice words again. And she shouldn’t, _she shouldn’t_ , but she had to ask.

"You-," the words mingled on her tongue, "you do?"

He nodded, face almost solemn.

"I-, I thought you think I'm ugly?" She said in a tone that was too breathy, too _emotional_.

Jaime looked to the side, touched his perfect jaw with his scarred hand and sighed. Then he looked back at her. Green eyes locking with her blue.

"So you’re telling me you took nothing I said seriously?"

"I-, I thought you were teasing." She managed, licked her bottom lip and tried to ignore his eyes flicking down to it. "I know how I look Jaime, there's no reason to lie about that, even if I'm your fake girlfriend for the night."

He shook his head.

"You don't know how you look," he said seriously. She wanted to argue with him but he interrupted her, "you don't know how you look in my eyes."

She didn’t know what to say to that.

-

The midnight was upon them so all the guests moved outside on the enormous balcony to watch the firework show that the city held up every year on Stranger's day.

Jaime stood close to her, her hand in his. He did not let go of her since he dragged her away from their friends to explain to her that all this time he was actually _complimenting_ her.

She never took those _compliments_ seriously but now she had to, didn’t she?

She shook her head and tried to focus on the show and not on the warmth emanating from Jaime’s body so close to hers.

The countdown started soon enough and at midnight the fireworks lit up the sky. Around the Targaryen mansion, the fires were lit. People started cheering, hugging each other and wishing everyone happiness in this new year.

But Jaime pulled at her hand and they were moving away through the crowds.

When they finally stopped, inside the mansion, in some hidden nook with tall windows, he turned around to face her.

He let go of her hand.

"I lied," he said and Brienne scrunched her eyebrows at him. "I don't want to be friends."

"Oh." She whispered, and it was all she could say. She _knew_ he could go on their agreement but to do this so soon after-

He moved closer and her thoughts stopped; she blinked at him.

"I thought that maybe," he said, " _maybe_ you don't really want to be friends either."

Her heart picked up its beat in her chest, for yet another time this evening. She swallowed and looked into his green eyes.

 _This is it_ , she thought, a moment where she could do something incredibly stupid.

If she heard him all wrong, if it was all just her wishful thinking this could be the most embarrassing moment of her life.

But if it wasn’t…

She looked down at his lips and then up at his eyes again.

He smirked.

"Do you want to be just friends, Brienne?" Jaime asked.

She moved toward him deciding to be brave. On the first day of the new year, for the whole of it. For her own sake.

Damn the consequences, just this once.

Their lips met in a rush. She held nothing back, and he didn’t either.

The first touch was like a fire, traveling down quickly, filling her lungs, her heart, her belly. She felt hot in an instant, heartbeat running in her ears. She couldn’t hear anything apart from his soft grunts.

It was all him, everything was so full of him.

His mouth was rougher than she expected, but pleasantly so. He took her bottom lip between his teeth and bit on it. She couldn’t help the moan that followed.

She moved closer, pushed him into the wall behind him, put her hands around his neck. She felt his body touching hers, his muscles rippling under his expensive tux and his blue shirt.

Both of his hands wandered over her naked back and she couldn’t help the shiver that went through her when he touched her skin.

He moaned into her mouth and then pushed his tongue inside. She met him with vigor. His hands wandered down toward her backside, he squeezed and pulled her closer to him.

She groaned, clenched her hand in his hair.

They were kissing for what felt like hours, and she wanted to get closer to him with every breath, every moan, every sigh.

When they finally parted, it was only for the lack of air. They were both breathing heavily, chests meeting in the little space that was still between them.

Jaime smirked at her once more and she kind of wanted to punch him in the face.

_Kind of._

"I hope this means what I think it means." He said, eyes alight with the fireworks outside the windows.

She shook her head and laughed.

Jaime smiled at her and leaned his head down. He kissed her neck softly moving up with each peck until he reached her ear. Her eyes were closed by that point, laugh fading from her lips. He kissed the shell of her ear and she shivered.

"Happy new year, Brienne of Tarth." He whispered.

 _Happy new year,_ Brienne thought, before she turned her head seeking his lips and kissed him again.

-

fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you to all the people who read this fic, bigger thank you still to those who left comments and kudos. You made me smile with each one, just so you know. To be quite honest, I'm not very happy with this fic in general but I hope that you've enjoyed it at least a little bit.  
> Got more excuses and worries ofc, but I won't bore you with them all.  
> You're very welcome to leave some constructive criticism (but pls don't be to harsh on me ;)) or any comment really cause comments are 🖤  
> Thank you for reading once again and happy New Year to you all, hope this new decade will be better to us all!


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